British Criminals

Rank the Most Wicked British Criminals

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 1 
Jack the Ripper
(Unidentified Serial Killer Active in the East End of London in 1888)
Jack the Ripper
102
Birthplace: England

Jack the Ripper was anl unidentified serial killer who predominantly targeted female prostitutes living and working in the ghetto of the East End of London. Since the murders were never solved, Jack the Ripper became infamous folklore in England. The murders were so cleverly done that the authorities were not even able to ascertain the killer's gender.

 2 
Ronald Kray
(Gangster Involved in Organised Crime in the East End of London, England, from the late 1950s to 1967)
Ronald Kray
51
Birthdate: October 24, 1933
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Haggerston, London, England
Died: March 17, 1995

Ronald Kray was a British criminal involved in organized crime in the East End of London in the 1950s and 1960s. Along with his twin brother, Reggie, he ran a gang that was notorious for committing murders, armed robberies, and arson among other criminal activities. The brothers were arrested in 1968 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

 3 
Blackbeard
(One of History’s Most Famous Pirates Who Became an Imposing Figure in American Folklore)
Blackbeard
36
Birthdate: 1680 AD
Birthplace: Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Died: November 22, 1718

Blackbeard was a notorious English pirate who struck fear into the hearts of his opponents during the early 18th century. His life has inspired several video games, TV miniseries, and films. Tim Powers' novel On Stranger Tides houses a fictionalized version of Blackbeard; the novel was later adapted into a film titled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

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 4 
Peter Sutcliffe
(British Serial Killer)
Peter Sutcliffe
85
Birthdate: June 2, 1946
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bingley, England
Died: November 13, 2020

English serial killer Peter Sutcliffe was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper as he was likened to the infamous unidentified serial killer, Jack the Ripper, by the press. Convicted of killing 13 women and injuring nine other, Peter Sutcliffe was sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2000, ITV aired a crime drama miniseries based on Peter Sutcliffe's murders titled This Is Personal.

 5 
Harold Shipman
(Serial Killer)
Harold Shipman
119
Birthdate: January 14, 1946
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Nottingham
Died: January 13, 2004

One of history’s most infamous serial killers, Harold Shipman was a British GP who is believed to have killed over 200 patients before being nabbed by the police. He was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment for 15 murders but later committed suicide in prison. The case led to grave concerns about powers and the responsibilities of the Britain’s medical community.

 6 
Charles Salvador
(British Criminal Who Has Been Referred to in the British Press as the 'Most Violent Prisoner in Britain')
Charles Salvador
24
Birthdate: December 6, 1952
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Luton, Bedfordshire, England

Former bare knuckle boxer Charles Salvador, also known as Charles Bronson, is also a highly infamous criminal, who was once convicted for an armed robbery. Known for his violent temper, he later penned several books, one of them on fitness. He is also a talented painter and poet.

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 7 
Mary Bell
(Murder Convict)
Mary Bell
28
Birthdate: May 26, 1957
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England
Mary Bell was convicted of strangling 4-year-old Martin Brown and 3-year-old Brian Howe in 1968, when she was just 11. She committed the second crime with a 13-year-old friend named Norma Joyce Bell. After she was released in 1980, after 12 years, she took up various pseudonyms.
 8 
Fred West
(Serial Killer)
Fred West
77
Birthdate: September 29, 1941
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Much Marcle, United Kingdom
Died: January 1, 1995

Fred West was a serial killer who derived pleasure from acts, such as voyeurism, sexual assaults, murder, and various sexual fetishes that pushed his victims beyond their sexual limits. He committed murders and sexual assaults along with his wife Rose, who worked as a prostitute at their residence. Fred committed suicide at HM Prison Birmingham in 1995.

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 9 
Derek Bentley
(Epileptic British Man Convicted and Hanged for the Murder of a Policeman, at the Age of 19)
Derek Bentley
6
Birthdate: June 30, 1933
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Southwark, London, England
Died: January 28, 1953

Derek Bentley was 19 when he was hanged for murdering a policeman during a burglary attempt. An illiterate, he had the mental age of 11 and also suffered from epilepsy. The controversial case led to a 45-long battle for a posthumous pardon, which was granted, and then a reversal of the murder charge.

 10 
Mary Ann Cotton
(Serial Killer)
Mary Ann Cotton
55
Birthdate: October 31, 1832
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Low Moorsley, Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, England
Died: March 24, 1873

Mary Ann Cotton was an English serial killer who was convicted for the murder of her stepson. Cotton is believed to have killed 11 of her children and three of her husbands for their insurance policies. Mary Ann Cotton was sentenced to death and was executed by hanging. 

 11 
Amelia Dyer
(English Serial Killer Who Killed Infants)
Amelia Dyer
38
Birthdate: 1837 AD
Birthplace: Bristol
Died: June 11, 1897

Amelia Dyer was an English serial killer who killed infants over a 30-year period. She exercised the practice of baby farming and murdered children after taking them under her care. Amelia Dyer's killings inspired a murder ballad. Her case also led to stricter laws for child protection and adoption in the UK.

 12 
Robert Maudsley
(Serial Killer)
Robert Maudsley
20
Birthdate: June 26, 1953
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Toxteth, Liverpool

Robert Maudsley is an English serial killer currently serving life imprisonment at Wakefield Prison, England. He committed three of his four murders in prison, forcing the authorities to keep him in solitary confinement. Maudsley's case was sensationalized as it was claimed that he had eaten part of the brain of one of his victims, although the PCC refuted such claims.

 13 
Henry Every
(English Pirate Whose Exploits Spawned Works of Literature and Inspired a Generation of Pirates)
Henry Every
11
Birthdate: August 23, 1659
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newton Ferrers, England
Died: April 22, 1699

Henry Every was an English pirate who was active during the mid-1690s. Nicknamed The King of Pirates, Every is remembered as one of the few major pirate captains to have escaped with his loot without being killed or arrested. Despite operating as a pirate for only two years, Every caught the public's imagination and inspired others to take up piracy.

 14 
Calico Jack
(British Pirate Captain Who Operated in Cuba and in the Bahamas During the Early 18th Century)
Calico Jack
10
Birthdate: December 26, 1682
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bristol, England
Died: November 18, 1720

Calico Jack was a British pirate captain who operated in Cuba and in the Bahamas during the early 18th century. Active towards the end of the Golden Age of Piracy, Calico Jack is best remembered for having two female pirates, including his lover Anne Bonny, as part of his crew. 

 15 
Ruth Ellis
(The Last Woman to be Hanged in the UK)
Ruth Ellis
16
Birthdate: October 9, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales
Died: July 13, 1955

Ruth Ellis began her career as a nightclub hostess as a teen and was also a nude model for a while. She later also worked as an escort. She became the last woman in the UK tot be hanged after she shot and killed her lover, race-car driver and affluent socialite David Blakely.

 16 
Benjamin Hornigold
6
Birthdate: July 18, 1680
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: England
Died: 1719 AD
 17 
Mary Read
(One of the Famous Female Pirates of 18th Century)
Mary Read
2
Birthdate: 1685 AD
Birthplace: England
Died: April 28, 1721

A legendary female pirate of the early eighteenth century, Mary Read took to piracy when her ship was seized by Jack Rackham in West Indies. By then, she had started dressing as a man and had served in the military, which might have helped her to become a successful buccaneer. Captured in 1720, she died in prison five months later.  

 18 
Beverley Allitt
(Serial Killer)
Beverley Allitt
43
Birthdate: October 4, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Grantham, Lincolnshire, England

Beverley Allitt is an English serial child killer, convicted ,of murdering four children and grievously injuring several others. Previously employed as a State Enrolled Nurse, she attacked 13 children over a 59-day period, out of which four died. She received 13 life sentences for the crimes and is detained at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire.

 19 
Henry Morgan
(Privateer, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica)
Henry Morgan
11
Birthdate: January 24, 1635
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Llanrumney, Glamorgan
Died: August 25, 1688

Henry Morgan was a Welsh privateer who later served as lieutenant governor of Jamaica. He is best remembered for raiding settlements on the Spanish Main. From the wealth acquired through his raids, Morgan became a plantation owner, buying three large sugar plantations in the Caribbean. His life and career inspired several films, such as Captain Blood and Morgan, the Pirate.

 20 
John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan
(English Peer Accused of Murdering the Nanny of His Children)
John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan
8
Birthdate: December 18, 1934
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Marylebone, London, England
Died: November 8, 1974

John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan was an English peer who disappeared on 8 November 1974 after being suspected of murder. Lucan's personal problems, gambling losses, and mounting legal expenses had a dramatic effect on his life. In 1974, the nanny of Lucan's children, Sandra Rivett, was bludgeoned to death and Lucan went missing, never to be seen again.

 21 
Charles Vane
(English Pirate Renowned For His Cruelty)
Charles Vane
10
Birthdate: 1680 AD
Birthplace: England, United Kingdom
Died: March 29, 1771

Charles Vane was an English pirate who was active during the dusk of the Golden Age of Piracy. Renowned for his cruelty, Vane often tortured and killed the sailors from the ships that he captured. Charles Vane and his crew have been portrayed in films and video games like Treasure of Pirate's Point and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. 

 22 
Leslie Grantham
(Best Known for His Role of 'Dirty Den Watts' from the BBC Soap Opera 'EastEnders')
Leslie Grantham
5
Birthdate: April 30, 1947
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Camberwell, London, England
Died: June 15, 2018

Best known as the villain Dirty Den from the BBC soap EastEnders, Leslie Grantham initially worked as a soldier with the Royal Fusiliers of the British Army. Convicted of the murder of a cab driver in Germany, he spent a decade in prison. He later attempted suicide as aftermath of a sex scandal.

 23 
John Billington
(One of The Signers of 'The Mayflower Compact')
John Billington
2
Birthdate: 1580 AD
Birthplace: Lincolnshire, England
Died: September 30, 1630

John Billington was an Englishman best remembered for his voyage to the New World on the famous Mayflower. He was one of the co-creators and signers of the Mayflower Compact. John Billington murdered another white settler named John Newcomen. He was tried by a jury in September 1630 and executed at the age of 40.

 24 
John George Haigh
(English Serial Killer Nicknamed 'The Acid Bath Murderer')
John George Haigh
14
Birthdate: July 24, 1909
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Stamford, Lincolnshire, England
Died: August 10, 1949

Known as the Acid Bath Murderer, John George Haigh was Known for shooting or beating his victims to death and then dissolving them in sulphuric acid. To his friends, he seemed to be a wealthy man of culture. Though he initially got away with 5 murders, he was caught after his 6th murder.

 25 
Jonathan Wild
(Criminal)
Jonathan Wild
3
Birthdate: May 6, 1683
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Died: May 24, 1725
 26 
William Kidd
(Pirate)
William Kidd
7
Birthdate: 1655 AD
Birthplace: Greenock, Scotland
Died: May 23, 1701
 27 
Bruce Reynolds
(English Criminal and the Mastermind Behind the 1963 'Great Train Robbery')
Bruce Reynolds
5
Birthdate: September 7, 1931
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Strand, London, England
Died: February 28, 2013

Bruce Reynolds was a British criminal who was the mastermind behind the Great Train Robbery in 1963. Although he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1969, Reynolds was released in 1978 post which he published three books and became a popular public figure, performing alongside Alabama 3. His life and career have inspired several films and TV series.

 28 
Dale Cregan
(British Drug Dealer Who Killed Two Female Police Officers on Duty)
Dale Cregan
26
Birthdate: June 6, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tameside

British drug dealer Dale Cregan had started dealing in cannabis soon after high school. He was later convicted of killing 2 female police officers, the first case in the UK in which 2 female cops were killed on duty. He was also known as One Eye because of his missing left eye.

 29 
Ghislaine Maxwell
(Socialite, Sex offender)
Ghislaine Maxwell
82
Birthdate: December 25, 1961
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Maisons-Laffitte, France

Daughter of publishing tycoon, late Robert Maxwell, Ghislaine Maxwell is a socialite infamous for her involvement with the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Charged with sex trafficking of minor girls, she is under investigation by the US Virgin Islands Department of Justice.

 30 
Buster Edwards
(Criminal)
Buster Edwards
3
Birthdate: January 27, 1931
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lambeth, London, England
Died: November 28, 1994
 31 
Henry Jennings
(Former privateer-turned-pirate, ship captain, landowner)
Henry Jennings
1
Birthplace: England
Died: 1745 AD
 32 
Jack Sheppard
(English Thief and Prison Escapee)
Jack Sheppard
0
Birthdate: March 4, 1702
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: November 16, 1724
 33 
Samuel Bellamy
(Pirate)
Samuel Bellamy
5
Birthdate: February 23, 1689
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Plymouth, England
Died: April 26, 1717
 34 
Stephen Port
(British Serial Killer and Serial Rapist)
Stephen Port
0
Birthdate: February 22, 1975
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
 35 
Myra Hindley
(Murderer Who Raped and Killed Five Children in and Around Manchester Between 1963 and 1965)
Myra Hindley
81
Birthdate: July 23, 1942
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Crumpsall, Greater Manchester, England
Died: November 15, 2002

Myra Hindley was an English murderer accused of raping and killing five children aged between 10 and 17 along with her partner, Ian Brady. The killings, which were carried out between July 1963 and October 1965, were dubbed the Moors murders. The killings and its aftermath were dramatized and adapted into an award-winning TV film titled Longford.

 36 
Alfred Rouse
(British Murderer Who Was Convicted and Executed For The Murder of an Unknown Man)
Alfred Rouse
0
Birthdate: April 6, 1894
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: March 10, 1931

Alfred Rouse was a British murderer who killed an unknown hitchhiker after rendering him unconscious inside his car and setting the car on fire in an attempt to fake his own death. The crime was dubbed the Blazing Car Murder and the identity of the victim remains unknown. Rouse was convicted and executed for the murder of an unknown man!

 37 
Constance Kent
(English Woman Who Murdered Her Three-Year-Old Half-Brother)
Constance Kent
4
Birthdate: February 5, 1844
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: idmouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom
Died: April 10, 1944

Constance Kent was an English woman who murdered her half-brother, Francis Saville Kent. She was only 16 years old when she killed her three-year-old half-brother. The murder inspired several works of art, including films and novels.

 38 
John Felton
(British Soldier Who Assassinated George Villiers, 1st Duke Of Buckingham)
John Felton
2
Birthdate: 1595 AD
Birthplace: Suffolk, England
Died: November 29, 1628

John Felton was a British soldier who served as a lieutenant in the British Army. He is best remembered for assassinating George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham on 23 August 1628. Buckingham was unpopular due to his incompetence and corruption and his murder was rejoiced in England. In 1844, the murder was fictionalized in Alexandre Dumas' novel, The Three Musketeers.

 39 
Tommy Robinson
(Anti-Islam, Far-Right Activist Who Is Co-Founder of the Islamophobic Organization Called 'the English Defence League')
Tommy Robinson
26
Birthdate: November 27, 1982
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Luton, United Kingdom

Tommy Robinson is a British anti-Islam, far-right activist. The co-founder of an Islamophobic organization called the English Defence League, Robinson has been convicted on multiple counts of fraud and violence as well as other crimes. From 2017 to 2018, he also contributed as a writer for a Canadian far-right political website called Rebel News.

 40 
Edward Paisnel
(Sex Offender)
Edward Paisnel
0
Birthdate: 1925 AD
Birthplace: Not known
Died: 1994 AD
 41 
William Chaloner
(Coin designer, Criminal)
William Chaloner
1
Birthdate: 1650 AD
Birthplace: Warwickshire, England
Died: March 22, 1699
 42 
James Hanratty
(Known as the 'A6 Murderer' Known for Killing Scientist 'Michael Gregsten')
James Hanratty
3
Birthdate: October 4, 1936
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bromley, Kent, England
Died: April 4, 1962

Better known as the A6 Murderer, James Hanratty was one of the last people to be executed before capital punishment was abolished. He was convicted of murdering scientist Michael Gregsten and raping and shooting Gregsten’s mistress, Valerie Storie. The controversial case led to a motion to prove his innocence.

 43 
Richard Hawkins
(Explorer)
Richard Hawkins
2
Birthdate: 1562 AD
Birthplace: Plymouth, England
Died: April 17, 1622
 44 
Jihadi John
(British Militant Seen in Several 'ISIS' Videos Showing the Beheadings of Numerous Hostages in 2014 and 2015)
Jihadi John
31
Birthdate: August 17, 1988
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Al Jahra, Kuwait
Died: November 12, 2015

Jihadi John was a Kuwaiti-born British militant who is believed to have been the person seen in several ISIL videos that showcased the beheadings of numerous hostages in 2014 and 2015. In November 2015, officials from the US reported that John was hit by a drone strike and his death was confirmed in 2016 by the extremist group ISIL.

 45 
Mark Dixie
(British Serial Rapist and a Murderer)
Mark Dixie
0
Birthdate: September 24, 1970
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Streatham, London
 46 
Levi Bellfield
(British Serial Killer Who Was Found Guilty of Murdering Three Women)
Levi Bellfield
41
Birthdate: May 17, 1968
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Isleworth, London, England

Levi Bellfield is an English sex offender, serial killer, rapist, burglar, and kidnapper. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 after he was found guilty of the murders of Amélie Delagrange and Marsha McDonnell. Levi Bellfield is currently imprisoned at HM Prison Frankland. The investigation that led to Levi Bellfield's arrest was dramatized in a TV drama titled Manhunt.

 47 
John Nevison
(Highwayman)
John Nevison
2
Birthdate: 1639 AD
Birthplace: Wortley, England
Died: March 4, 1684
 48 
Richard Reid
(Terrorist)
Richard Reid
8
Birthdate: August 12, 1973
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Bromley, United Kingdom
 49 
Curtis Warren
(Gangster)
Curtis Warren
5
Birthdate: May 31, 1963
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Toxteth
 50 
Samantha Lewthwaite
(Suspected Terrorist)
Samantha Lewthwaite
17
Birthdate: December 5, 1983
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Banbridge, United Kingdom
Died: November 12, 2014

Called the ‘white widow’, British national Samantha Lewthwaite is one of the most wanted terrorists in the world. She has been linked to the Somali terrorist group Al Shabaab and was reportedly involved in the 2013 Nairobi Westgate shopping mall terror attack. She is the widow of one of the four suicide bombers who carried out the July 2005 London subway terror attacks.