Psychiatrist's evaluation of killer's abnormal pain-related sexual desires emerges at trial of two alleged accomplices

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Joanna Dennehy, who has admitted murdering three men and trying to kill two others, has been diagnosed as suffering from paraphilia sadomasochism, a jury has been told.

Dennehy, 31, was diagnosed as having the condition by a consultant forensic psychiatrist while she was being held at Bronzefield prison in Surrey.

The jury heard about the diagnosis during the trial of two alleged accomplices. The panel was told that sadomasochists experienced sexual excitement from acts involving the infliction of "pain, humiliation or bondage".

The dictionary definition of paraphilia is a condition characterised by abnormal sexual desires. The jury was told that some people prefer to be the recipient of pain or humiliation in sadomasochistic acts while others preferred to provide it.

Dennehy, of Peterborough, has admitted murdering Lucasz Slaboszewski, 31, John Chapman, 56, and Kevin Lee, 48, whose bodies were found in ditches in Cambridgeshire last year.

She has also pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of Robin Bereza and John Rogers, whom she randomly selected and stabbed in the street in Hereford. They were injured but survived.

Some details of her violent spree have been heard at Cambridge crown court during the trial of two men the prosecution claims helped her, Gary Stretch and Leslie Layton, also of Peterborough.

Dennehy's diagnosis emerged during a series of written admissions presented to the jury.

The jury was also read a statement from a witness who said that one of the victims, Lee, had told him that Dennehy wanted to "rape me in a dress."

In addition it heard about a telephone call Stretch made to a former partner, Julie Gibbons, while he was on remand in prison.

Gibbons asked: "Why did she [Dennehy] do it?"

Stretch responded: "Well she's just that way. You know what I mean, she's just off her head."

Gibbons responded: "So then you should have run a mile."

Stretch said: "I didn't know about it at first. I came down and there was a guy in the hallway. She said: 'Oh you need to help me get rid of him, bin him.'"

Stretch, 47, denies preventing the lawful burial of the three men who were murdered by Dennehy and two counts of attempted murder – relating to the attacks in Hereford.

Layton, 36, denies perverting the course of justice and preventing the lawful burial of the bodies of Chapman and Lee.

The court was told that neither defendant was going to give evidence.

The trial continues.