Darlington robber's sentencing reveals fall out of Julie Paterson case

The mother-of-four was brutally slaughtered by David Harker who was dubbed the ‘cannibal killer’ after claiming to have eaten parts of his victim’s body.

The 31-year-old’s partner, at the time of her murder in 1998, Alan Taylor’s life spiralled out of control as he struggled to come to terms with the brutality of the crime.

His life descended into alcoholism as he desperately tried the find missing body parts of his lover – her torso was found in the garden of a derelict house but her head and limbs were never recovered.

Read more: Why Darlington robber was jailed despite 'absurd' young life blighted by two killings

Ms Paterson was strangled with a pair of her tights, before her body was dismembered in the basement of Harker’s flat in Harewood Grove, Darlington.

Mother-of-four Julie Paterson

Durham Constabulary detectives trawled through 20,000 tons of rubbish at Coxhoe tip in County Durham and searched in rivers and ponds in the vain hope they would recover the body parts.

In February 1999, Harker, then aged 24, pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to the manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Alan Taylor became so obsessed about finding the missing parts that he resorted to digging areas of Darlington.

Alan Taylor

He received a life sentence for the 2006 murder of John Morrison in a disturbing plan to confront Harker in prison but took his own life the following year while locked up.

And Teesside Crown Court heard how the horrific events blighted the life of Mr Taylor’s son, Sean, as his ‘absurd childhood’ resulted in a life of crime.

The 32-year-old was locked up for 27 months after he robbed a woman as she enjoyed a night out in Darlington town centre last November.

The court heard how Taylor has 40 convictions for 85 offences, including for affray and burglary, dating back to his teens.

His barrister, Robert Mochrie, said the impact of Taylor’s father’s murder conviction and subsequent suicide was a key factor in his descent into addiction and crime.

Sean Taylor (Image: Durham Constabulary)

The horrendous murder of Julie Paterson also had a damaging impact on one of her sons, Freddie Newman, who has struggled with addiction and served prison sentences after falling into a life of crime.

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In December 2021, the Parole Board reviewed his case for the seventh time following the expiry of the tariff period. Harker has now spent an additional eight years in prison for the protection of the public.

David Harker

The board found Harker has made “limited progress” when considering the risk factors identified at the time of his offending.

These included his willingness to use extreme violence and weapons, his distorted attitudes towards women and sex, difficulties managing his emotions, not being able to cope with life’s everyday problems, and misuse of drugs and alcohol, the board said.

His case was one of the first to be heard by the Parole Board following a new law, known as Helen’s Law, which was introduced to make it harder for killers to get parole if they refuse to reveal where they hid their victim’s body.