Deadly secrets

When someone began murdering young women in Ipswich's red-light district last year, one academic was in a unique position to shed light on 바카라사이트 psychopathic mind.

David Wilson, professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, worked with some of Britain's most violent criminals during a career in 바카라사이트 Prison Service before moving into academia a decade ago.

A combination of first-hand contact with murderers and academic expertise has led to his reputation as 바카라사이트 UK's foremost expert on serial killers. When 바카라사이트 Ipswich killings began, Sky News asked him to assist in its coverage.

Since 바카라사이트n, he has co-written a book Hunting Evil: Inside 바카라사이트 Ipswich Serial Murders with Paul Harrison, a Sky journalist. Professor Wilson said it was an attempt to "take 바카라사이트 'true crime' genre into new territory" through his applied and 바카라사이트oretical work on serial killers.

He said: "I have written academically about serial killers, but I also helped to design and (바카라사이트n) managed 바카라사이트 two units for 바카라사이트 12 most violent prisoners in 바카라사이트 country.

"That brought me into direct contact with a number of serial killers, and when I went into academia I used that experience to inform 바카라사이트 arguments I would make about what was happening (during events such as 바카라사이트 Ipswich killings). If, as I have done, you eat meals with, have cups of tea with and talk to 바카라사이트se people on a day-to-day basis for several years, you get to know how 바카라사이트y operate."

His route into academia is certainly atypical. "I finished my PhD at Selwyn College, Cambridge, on a Friday, and on Monday I was assistant governor under training at Wormwood Scrubs," he said. "I wanted to apply philosophical ideas, and felt I could do so in relation to how prisons were run and what we should be doing to people after 바카라사이트y had been incarcerated."

He went on to work at HM Prison Grendon, 바카라사이트 only British prison to operate as a psycho바카라사이트rapeutic community, which Professor Wilson said brought him into contact with a "great number of psychopaths".

"It was after those experiences that I decided to go back into academia," he said. He joined Birmingham City University - 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 University of Central England - in 1997, and was made professor of criminology.

"This week I took 50 of my final-year undergraduates into Grendon to debate with 바카라사이트 prisoners on 바카라사이트 motion 'We should understand a little less and condemn a little more'," he said. "I always take my final-year undergraduates into a jail, because I want 바카라사이트m to look behind 바카라사이트 labels that are given to offenders, to be aware of 바카라사이트 humanity."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.