Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of rape and assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Malcolm Fairley was a notorious sex attacker and burglar who was infamously known as The Fox, owing to his method of laying a trap for his intended victims and waiting patiently before he assaulted them. Fairley haunted several villages in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. These areas soon came to be known as the Triangle of Terror, The Sun reported. He was most active in the summer of 1984.
According to BBC, Malcolm Fairley broke into homes and created dens where he waited for residents to return. He stole trophies from the homes, watched television, and cooked meals while he awaited the return of his victims. He was usually masked and had a shotgun. Fairley assaulted, raped and violently attacked his victims. His crimes reached a peak in the summer of 1984, when three attacks were recorded within a week.
On April 11, 1984, Malcolm Fairley broke into one of the houses in Linslade, of Leighton Buzzard, and assaulted a 74-year-old woman. She was sleeping when he attempted to sexually assault her. This attack, according to Bedfordshire Live, was the first known attack by The Fox. He reportedly targeted other men and women of all age groups. The brutality of his crimes then only increased with time.
After he was caught, Malcolm Fairley was tried in the St Albans Crown Court in February 1985. He admitted to an indecent assault on a man and a woman, three rapes, three aggravated burglaries with intent to rape while carrying a firearm, and five burglaries. He admitted to a total of 13 offences and was then handed six life sentences by the court.
How was Malcolm Fairley caught?
One of the most elaborate manhunts was organised to get hold of Malcolm Fairley. The mission was called Operation Peanut and reportedly included 200 officers. According to iNews, this was one of the first investigations to use a computer and develop a psychological profile of a criminal. Some yellow paint was found in one of the south Yorkshire homes where he attacked. Authorities found that the paint was from a British Leyland Austin Allegro from 1973-75.
Authorities searched Malcolm Fairley’s car. They found screwdrivers, which were used to break into homes, in the boot of his Austin Allegro. They also found jean material, which they suspected he was using to make masks from.
This clue led to Fairley’s arrest in September 1984. Authorities used forensic findings to link his car to one of the attacks. They arrested him at his home in Kentish Town, North London. He was also found to be left-hand dominant, as described by many of his victims. When he was arrested, authorities recorded 81 offences committed by him. The manhunt included the questioning of over 5000 suspects and several residents who slept with weapons by their beds, fearing an attack by The Fox.
The Intruder: He’s Watching You From Within is a Channel 5 documentary that explored the crimes and motives of Malcolm Fairley. The documentary reportedly includes police interviews in which The Fox confessed to the various crimes he committed and also explained why he committed them. It is produced by ITN Productions as has been aired on Channel 5 on Monday, April 8, 2024, at 10 p.m.
