Paul Sykes – A Life of Chaos

Introduction

Paul Sykes, commonly referred to as “The Wildman of Wakefield”, somebody whose own mother was quoted as saying that if she’d been the presiding judge at one of his many trials, she would’ve let him hang. In his prime, he stood at six feet three inches tall, weighed over fifteen stone and had hands “the size of shovels”.  

He was a professional boxer who competed for the British & Commonwealth heavyweight titles, an award-winning author, subject of a Yorkshire TV documentary, notorious criminal, reputed sex offender, and one of the most dangerous inmates to have entered the British prison system. 

Nevertheless, this hardman reputation wouldn’t last forever. Later in life he became a shell of his former self and lost a lifelong fight to his greatest opponent – alcohol. He ended up a frail, homeless alcoholic constantly targeted by gangs of youths determined to get payback for their relatives who themselves had been victims of Sykes during his prime, or, if that wasn’t the case, just so they could brag that they’d battered the ex-boxer.  

Yet still, even during his downfall, he continued to cause mayhem in his home city of Wakefield, and, due to his deplorable actions, became the recipient of the city’s first ASBO. Urinating in public, defecating himself, shoplifting, and threatening to kill crying children were just a few examples of his sickening acts during this time.  

Eventually however, the demon that was Paul Sykes succumbed to his own personal demons when he was only sixty years old. Ravaged by liver cirrhosis, defeated by pneumonia, he passed away broken and unrecognisable in a hospital bed. He was loathed and feared by many, loved by few, and has remained a figure of curiosity among those who never knew him when he was alive.  

But how did this boy who grew up on Wakefield’s Lupset estate become the man feared by so many of that city’s residents? He who was a real-life Voldemort, striking terror in people after they heard just a whisper of his name. Well, I decided to make it my mission to find out.  

To do this, I read three posthumous biographies written about him by author Jamie Boyle and his own Arthur Koestler Literary Award-winning novel “Sweet Agony”. I devoured countless hours of vlogs created by people who had personal interactions with him. And I rewatched the infamous 1990 documentary “Paul Sykes at Large”, then found another in which he featured, appropriately named “Danger Men”, which centred around a special unit he was housed on in HMP Hull.   

Now, after several weeks of research, I think I have gathered enough knowledge to give details on his life – some of it good, most of it bad, for he was always a man who garnered conflicting opinions. So, if like me you are curious about the enigma that is Paul Sykes, read on, and I will offer you a glimpse into his tumultuous past.  

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