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A child murderer dubbed the Friday the 13th Killer today lost a legal bid to remain anonymous.

In a victory for the press, Lord Justice Pitchford overturned an earlier decision made when David McGreavy applied to be moved to an open prison.

McGreavy, now 62, was also known as the Monster of Worcester when he was convicted of mutilating three children aged between four years and nine months.

Aged 21, he had been babysitting Paul, Dawn Marie and Samantha Jane Ralph when he killed them, mutilated their bodies and impaled them on iron railings of a neighbours’ fence.

The only explanation he gave for his savagery was the fact the oldest boy would not stop crying.

He was sentenced to three life sentences in July 1973 and ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years.

In August 2011 the Parole Board refused his application to be transferred to an open prison.

When McGreavy challenged the decision at the High Court Mr Justice Simon ordered that the killer should be known only as M.

The court heard that he had previously been sent to open prison in February 2004 leading to paid employment and temporary leave.

But in July 2005 the Sun newspaper ran a front page story revealing the hostel where he was staying and McGreavy was returned to prison.

This year McGreavy will have been in the prison system for 40 years – twice the original minimum sentence.

In proceedings earlier this year Mr Justice Simon rejected McGreavy’s application to be allowed back to an open prison.

But the judge rejected submissions from the press that allowing anonymity set a precedent for other high profile prisoners to seek similar orders.

That decision was challenged by lawyers representing the press and Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.

The court heard that McGreavy’s lawyers were arguing that the issue was whether “the media should be allowed to imperil his life or scupper his chances of rehabilitation.”

But Guy Vassall-Adams, representing the press and the Government minister said that argument applied to a different case such as the killers of James Bulger who were provided with a new identity under injunctions protecting their anonymity.

“That injunction protected confidential information which is the new identities, and doesn’t prevent the media reporting what is already public,” said Mr Vassall-Adams.

Anyone interested in finding out about McGreavy’s crimes could do so by a click of a button on the internet, said the barrister.

“Understanding the nature of the victims and the terrible treatment metred out to them gives a completely different complexion to the whole case,” said Mr Vassell-Adams.

Lord Justice Pitchford said that McGreavy’s murders were of “exceptional gravity” and that the “course adopted by his legal advisors was wrong”.