Paul Sykes – A Life of Chaos – Part 7

Life After Death

Paul’s legacy continues to thrive almost twenty years since his passing. Yes, he had his many flaws, and wasn’t somebody you would have wanted to meet on the street, but he piques your curiosity, doesn’t he? This is proven by the fact you have read all the way up until now.  

But what happened to keep him in the public eye for all these years? This can be defined by a series of events. 

A Forgotten Son

Firstly, there was another murder committed by one of Paul’s sons the year after he died. Michael Sharp, the son he had hardly known, whose mother had cut all contact with Paul to stop him negatively impacting Michael’s life – well, it was he who committed the murder.  

In the early hours of 23^rd January 2008, Michael and an accomplice broke into David Ward’s house to rob his safe, which they had been told held £20,000 in cash alongside quantities of cocaine and amphetamine.  

They tied up the ex-police officer then tortured him to find out the whereabouts of the safe key. The level of violence they inflicted was so grievous it killed the man. Apparently, Sharp was the one who strangled him to death. He was later found deceased in his bathroom; his wrists and ankles bound with leather belts.  

The perpetrators were soon captured. Michael was given a life sentence with a minimum of twenty-seven years to be served. This made his father hit the news again a year after he’d passed.  

Throughout his life, Paul had been the subject of many news articles, and even in death it was the same. Even though he’d had no part in raising this murderer, he was still blamed in the news – according to them, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  

Since his incarceration, Michael has become a renowned bully, trying so hard to be like his father, even using the name Sykes rather than Sharp. Nevertheless, fellow convicts don’t seem to be bothered about his name. He has been attacked multiple times for his behaviour; one time having boiling water and sugar poured over him, suffering severe burns. 

Jamie Boyle & His Three Biographies

What has played the biggest role in Paul’s continued fame however is the documentary, “Paul Sykes At Large”. Since YouTube was founded in 2005, it has been uploaded to the platform multiple times and millions of people have viewed it worldwide.  

Because of this, a man named, Jamie Boyle, watched it and became intrigued by Mr Sykes. After conducting more research, he realised there has never been a biography written about the man, which was surprising, because he was such a fascinating character.  

Despite his lack of writing experience, never having written a book before, he decided a biography needed to be made, and he was the man for the job. He went to work, interviewing dozens of people who knew Paul – his sister, Kay, his son, Paul Jr, and many of his friends and acquaintances. He recorded their conversations and transcribed them into a series of chapters that would make up the book.  

He titled it, “Unfinished Agony”, a homage to Paul’s own novel, “Sweet Agony”. It was published in 2017 (ten years after Paul’s death) by publisher, WarCry Press. It became an instant bestseller on Amazon and sparked a new interest in the man, propelling him back into the public spotlight.  

After the success of this first novel, Jamie wrote two more: “Further Agony” and “Final Agony”, which also became bestsellers. All proceeds from the books go to charity, so Jamie didn’t write them for any financial gain, he was simply curious about a life so complex and wasted, and felt the public needed to know about it too. 

You can find links to Jamie Boyle’s books by clicking on the titles contained within the previous text. All of them can also be found on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Jamie-Boyle/author/B06XBNPBNF?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

A Planned Movie & Posthumous Success of Sweet Agony

Now, because of these books, a feature film and documentary are being made about Paul. Western Edge Pictures are the producers. Not much is known about the release date of these films, COVID disrupted plans for filming, and no updates have been made. But when they do come out, more people will know the name Paul Sykes.  

He would be laughing about how everybody still talks about him to this day; that books and poems and films are being made about his life – about him, a proud Yorkshireman, who always held the belief he was something special.  

He would love the fact that original copies of his novel now sell for hundreds of pounds online; they have become a sought-after collector’s item because only ten-thousand copies ever went to print.  

And I’m sure the more recent publication of his book would be something he would have willingly benefited from too. Since this publication, thousands more people have now read his book; sombrely, it achieved the success he wanted during his lifetime. 

A Local Legend

Yet his legacy in Wakefield lives on most prominently, despite him now having global recognition. Anybody who was around when he was alive has a story to tell about Paul. Being someone from Wakefield myself, there are several first-hand accounts I have heard from people I know.  

My dad recollects seeing him in his prime, in local pubs and clubs, this giant with the shovel hands who everybody recognised and feared. Contrasting this, my friend Sam remembers him in his homeless days, when Paul had fallen asleep in his garden on the Eastmoor estate, and his father had to wake him up and remove him from their property.  

There are many more stories like this surrounding Paul Sykes when he was cock-of-the-walk or the down-and-out. He will always be remembered in Wakefield by its people, be they his fans or his haters; he certainly left an imprint on this city, or as Paul called it, ‘The greatest little city on earth!’  

Lasting Legacy

He will continue to live on in prison and Yorkshire folklore. He once told a friend, ‘I always want to be remembered – as a hero or a local bum – either will do.’ And when the wolves used to taunt him, calling him a “has-been”, Paul would reply with, ‘I’d rather be a has-been than a never-was-been!’  
Well, he certainly lived up to both of those statements.  

He was a villain, a thug, and a thief – a nuclear bomb who self-destructed. His aftershocks spread for miles, and the damage he caused is still felt to this day.  

He hurt many, spread joy to few, but nobody can say he wasn’t unique. There will never be anybody else like him. He truly was one of a kind. And I doubt there will be another like him to haunt Wakefield ever again.