Who were John Cooper’s victims? – The Sun

SERIAL killer John Cooper was sentenced to four life sentences over two double murders he committed in the 1980s.

Cooper, 76, was convicted in 2011 for the 1985 double murder of siblings Richard and Helen Thomas, and the 1989 double murder of Peter and Gwenda Dixon. Here's what we know about his tragic victims.

Who is John Cooper and where is he now?

John Cooper is a serial killer whose killings became known as the Pembrokeshire murders.

He had a long history of crimes which include 30 robberies and violent assault.

He was sentenced to 14 years in 1998 for burglary and robbery but was released in 2009.

Through a cold case review, he was arrested and convicted of two double murders dating back to the 1980s.

Cooper, who unsuccessfully tried to appeal his convictions in September 2011, is still behind bars in an undisclosed prison.

Cooper was known as the Bullseye killer because footage from the TV game show Bullseye, in which he appeared in 1989, was later used as evidence against him.

Who were John Cooper's victims?

Richard and Helen Thomas

Cooper killed siblings Richard and Helen Thomas on December 22, 1985.

After shooting them, he burned down their three-story farmhouse in Scoveston Park, Milford Haven.

Helen, 54, was found in dead in the burned down home along with her millionaire farmer brother Richard.

She was tied up and shot and Richard had shot wounds to the stomach.

Peter and Gwenda Dixon

Peter and Gwenda Dixon were on holiday in Pembrokeshire when Cooper murdered them on June 29, 1989.

Cooper tied them up, demanded they hand over their bank card and then forced them to disclose their PIN code.

Cooper, carrying a sawn-off shotgun, robbed Peter of £300 and shot the couple in the face at point blank range.

Their bodies were later found along the coastal path.

Unnamed girls

Cooper was also sentenced for raping two teenage girls, aged 15 and 16, in March 1996.

He sexually assaulted them at gunpoint in woodland behind the Mount Estate, Milford Haven.

When is The Pembrokeshire Murders on TV?

The Pembrokeshire Murders airs at 9pm on Monday, January 11.

The ITV drama will air over three episodes.

The second and third episodes air on Tuesday, January 12 and Wednesday, January 13.

 

The mini-series stars Luke Evans as SIO Steve Wilkins and Keith Allen as Cooper.

After each episode has aired you'll be able to catch it on the ITV Hub.

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