Paul Sykes – A Life of Chaos – Part 3

Crimes & Prison Time

Wakefield Prison

Despite Paul only being seventeen, he was “starred-up” and sent straight to an adult institution. Normally, only convicts aged twenty-one and over would be placed in these jails, so the teenager must have already caused concern for prison authorities. Nonetheless, was this the right placement for young Paul?  

Obviously, he would have been confident he could handle himself, but even so, being sent to an adult prison would be scary for anyone at that age. He wasn’t eased into prison life either. The prison he was sent to is the scariest in the country, and remarkably, the closest one to home. 

He was sent to HMP Wakefield, lovingly nicknamed, “The Monster Mansion”, due to the inmates it keeps. It is a Category A maximum security prison, meaning it only locks up the worst of the worst.  

Sex offenders, child murderers, serial killers – the vilest criminals Britain has ever bred. This would be Paul’s first experience of incarceration, locked up with all those other monsters. Funnily enough, you can view the prison complex from parts of Thornes Park, so when Paul was drinking there not long before, I wonder if he might have considered that it would soon be his home. 

His Family’s Dismay

Free on the outside were his family who themselves would suffer because of his crimes. It wasn’t the norm back then to know somebody who had been to prison, so the Sykes’ reputation had been tarnished by their Paul. Kay was picked on at school because of it, taunted by her peers that her brother was a wrong un.  

Her first memories of her brother were visiting him in prison; how her parents would bring him chocolate and inform him of life on the estate. Walter was distraught at his son’s incarceration. Despite his sadism, he cared for Paul in his own way. Kay remembers hearing her dad sobbing many times because of his son the jailbird. The reason for this was obvious; he knew more than anyone just how bad it was inside those prisons, because after all, he had been a screw himself. 

Prison Life

Whilst his family worried about him, Paul adapted to life in a cage much like an apex predator at a zoo. Kept fed and watered the animal will stay calm, but that doesn’t mean it’s been tamed, get too close and you will learn the hard way, the beast can still bite.  

With so much time on his hands, Paul immersed himself in fitness. I guess, he had to. Surrounded by other predators, you must survive at any cost. He was already a giant for seventeen, but now, even on a diet of porridge and water, Paul built his body into a well-oiled machine.  

He made it known to fellow inmates and guards that he wasn’t somebody to be messed with. His boxing skills came in handy in such a ruthless environment. He quickly established a fearsome reputation amongst everyone in the prison. He would fight the toughest of cons, groups of screws – anybody foolish enough to challenge him.  

I imagine it didn’t help that he would have been the subject of brutality by the guards. After fracturing a few of their jaws, eventually, they would have overwhelmed him and subjected him to a horrific beating.  

He would learn to hate authority, despise it even. For him, it was a game to best police officers and guards. He relished their blood, revelled in their fear – he thrived off it like a modern-day vampire. Some guards were so afraid of Paul, they let him rule the roost.  

He was served more food than other inmates, always had a radio, and was even allowed to smoke weed in his cell just to keep him mellow. They were right to be scared. If given the chance he could do them serious harm. Once, he tried to escape with another prisoner and hit a guard so hard over the head, he turned him into a vegetable. 

He wasn’t scared of anyone. He would strut along the wing with his chest stuck out, confident, without a care in the world. He was such a hulk of a man, he set prison weightlifting records which still stand to this day. But rather than just fight and lift weights, Paul also chose to sharpen his mind. This wasn’t someone who was dumb by any means. Even though he’d flunked school, he had a natural intellect that only needed training like his physique.  

Intellect as Well as Brawn

In his cell, he read four books a week by all the greatest authors. He came to love literature and would escape his incarceration through the words contained within the pages. He became knowledgeable on all manner of subjects and could complete crosswords in newspapers like The Guardian in under twenty-minutes.  

He earned a multitude of qualifications: twenty-two O-Levels, eight A-Levels, a BA in Physical Science at the Open University, twice a City & Guilds in Bricklaying, a Royal Life Saving Swimming Certificate, he became an FA qualified referee, and even held a Distinction & Bar. He utilised his time to understand his prison rights and British law. This meant that, on occasion, when he later appeared in court, he would represent himself, and oftentimes won.  

He was an intelligent guy, who could have done anything he put his mind to. The world could have been his oyster, but for Paul, his notoriety mattered more. Being a somebody rather than a nobody. He was grandiose, narcissistic, egotistical, and harboured a passion for violence. He wouldn’t bow down to any man; couldn’t work a nine to five; he was somebody unwilling to be pro-social. He had a reputation to uphold, and uphold it he would, even at the cost of his liberty and freedom. 

A Notorious Inmate

It wasn’t just Wakefield Prison where his notoriety grew either. Due to his uncontrollability and willingness to leather screws, Paul was shipped to prisons all around the country. Across the course of his life, I have found twelve prisons he spent time in, but I’m sure there’s many more: Wakefield, Armley, Strangeways, Hull, Liverpool, Walton, Durham, Frankland, Woodland, Nottingham, Gartree, and Leicester.  

By 1990 he had been transferred twenty-five times to eleven of those prisons; three times being placed on special wings for the most dangerous of offenders. He served time with all the infamous cons of that era – the Kray twins, the Richardsons, Charles Bronson, the train robbers – but even amongst those hardened criminals, Sykes was in a league of his own. In the 1970s and 80s he was considered by the home office one of the top five most dangerous prisoners in the country.  

Between 1962 and 1985, he accumulated: two convictions for wounding with intent, two for violent robberies, five for actual bodily harm, one for grievous bodily harm, and more than once for assaulting police officers and guards.  

This goes to show just how volatile of a man he became. He had been institutionalised and openly admitted that he preferred life in prison. He went inside as a youth and didn’t get a chance to mature emotionally. An angry boy trapped inside a man’s body; when he was out, he couldn’t adapt to normal life, and the reputation he earnt inside those prison walls, was one he felt he had to uphold on the streets. 

Life on the Outside

In the thirteen years since his first imprisonment, Paul would only spend nine-months of it free to roam the earth. Nevertheless, whenever he did get out, his mum would prepare an expensive meal for the family to sit down and eat whilst they welcomed him home.  

He was in and out, in and out. His mother hoped each time he would change, but this was never the case, instead, each time, he got worse. It became normalised having a son who spent most of his twenties locked up. His sister was so terrified of him coming home, one time, due to stress, she wet her bed.  

No wonder she was so distraught. Prison had only served to fuel his anger. He had a Jekyll & Hyde personality. One minute being pleasant and affable, the next, a red mist would swoop down, his face would change, his eyes became dead, and then came the violence.  

He terrorised his family each time he got out of prison. He was violent towards his father, his mother, and even his sister. One time, out of self-defence for herself and her husband, Kay had to strike Paul over the head with an ornament which left him marked with a life-long scar.  

The citizens of Wakefield also learnt to walk on eggshells whenever Sykes was out of prison. His demonic reputation spread like wildfire across the city. Decades before social media, everybody knew the name Paul Sykes.  

Wakefield’s Villain

With his trademark moustache, stylish dress sense, imposing figure, and loud, booming voice, if you ever came across him during the 1970s and 80s, he was instantly recognisable. He was never a successful criminal by any means, but he held notoriety for being a vicious thug.  

His alcoholism took startling effect too. Bouncers and bartenders were on edge whenever he came towards their joint. There would be whispers amongst them that somebody had seen Paul Sykes drinking somewhere in town and that they would have to be prepared for his imminent arrival. Pubs and clubs would lose customers as soon as he walked in. Punters would depart in droves. He was bad for business, but what could they do? Nobody had the balls to tell him to go away. 

The people who remained that didn’t know him, would soon know who he was. He liked to knock back pint after pint after pint until he was blind drunk. He would force people into buying him drinks, and if they refused, he would knock them clean out. Like a shark, as soon as he smelt fear, he would prey on it to get what he wanted. Paul could never go out and just have fun, eventually, the booze would take hold, and his violent nature would spill forth.  

He was more than a handful for the bouncers. He would fight groups of them, and most of the time, come out on top. As soon as he popped his boxing stance, they knew they were screwed, and the only chance they had was if he was blottoed.  

It was the same for the police. The West Yorkshire constabulary now knew exactly what the little vandaliser had become. They were called out countless times to arrest the brute, and every time, it was treated as a complex operation. Multiple riot vans filled with attack dogs and coppers would drive down to wherever Paul was. A Mexican standoff would ensue. Nobody wanted to be the first officer to go in and take a whack.  

It was a spectacle for the Lupset estate. He would stand there with his top off, beating his chest like a gorilla, throwing objects at them, and laughing at their hesitance. The only time Paul went willingly was if a female officer was there. A false sense of chivalry meant he would let her bang on the cuffs.  

A Glib Charm

But even though he repelled people due to his unpredictability, he wasn’t without an entourage too. Young lads who worshipped him like a god, women who lusted after his bad-boy reputation, fellow criminals who had earnt his respect – during his prime, he had groupies who wanted to bask in his presence.  

He would sit in local pubs and clubs of the time – Heppy’s Nightclub, Rooftop Gardens, The Malt Shovel, Lupset WMC – surrounded by these people whilst he regaled stories of his life. They would sit attentively and adoringly, soaking in his every word; he could be a charismatic man when he wanted, and although he should have been a massive red flag, he still commanded a lot of female attention. 

Criminal Enterprises

He was involved in a diverse range of crimes when on the outside, not just in Wakefield but around the UK. He robbed bookies and post offices, burgled houses, sold drugs, stole cars, ran a protection scam, and broke people’s legs for £200. Inside prison, he met a lot of underworld figures who gave him these jobs. He even sold stolen goods through his mother’s market stall. 

One affluent enterprise he was part of were fake auctions. This scheme utilised his abilities to lie and manipulate. He auctioned desirable products which buyers would snap up. Then, when they came to collect their purchase, he would give them a different item than the one they had bid for. It was through this scheme that he met his first wife, Pauline, who was to be the love of his life.  

His First Wife

It was 1973. At one of his auctions, she had bid for an expensive camera but was shocked when she received a much poorer model. Pauline was no sucker though. Her fiery spirit meant she went and confronted Paul to get the camera she had paid for. This petite woman showed him more courage than most men.  

His initial surprise turned into attraction. If somebody stood up to Paul, they earnt his respect. He told her he would only give her the camera if she agreed to go on a date. This tall, rugged man who had been the subject of her fury, somehow charmed her into saying yes.  

And that was that. A whirlwind romance began. They lived in Blackpool together where Paul became a lifeguard and was awarded a silver cross for saving someone’s life. Two months later they got married, she became pregnant with his first son, Paul Jr, and all the foundations for a happy marriage should have been set in place. But this was Paul Sykes we are talking about. He could never maintain stability for long.  

He began to indulge in criminality again – stealing and committing acts of violence. One startling claim was that he strangled to death the cat of a couple whom he and Pauline were lodgers of. 

Pauline wouldn’t put up with this lawlessness and evil. So, when he was carted back to prison a week after they got married, Pauline would eventually end things, much to his dismay. But what could he do whilst sat alone inside his cell? He had to accept it and continue with his time. 

Cat Killer

There was a sinister side to Paul many people don’t know about. One which isn’t as widely discussed. For instance, this was a man who enjoyed to torture and kill cats like in the story I just described.  

In Charles Bronson’s novel, “Legends”, he describes a similar incident where Paul killed and skinned a cat which had somehow got inside their prison. Afterwards, he strutted around the wing wearing its fur on his head like a Davey Crockett hat.  

An Even Darker Side

But there was an even darker side to Paul than just preying on felines. Dark rumours which spread across the prison grapevine. Like on the outside, he had his admirers. Lags who idolised his fighting reputation. But there were other prisoners who never wanted to encounter this man. Because there was speculation that Sykes was raping young offenders.  

He was openly bisexual. A self-confessed nonce who liked “girly geezers”. He admitted bumming men in prison with a Page 3 Model’s photograph stuck to their backs.  

But in his words, he never took it by force. All participants were able and willing. So, was there any truth to these rumours of rape? Well, I will present you all my findings and let you decide for yourselves. 

The Facts

Homosexuality was rife in prison at the time. One ex-screw from Strangeways named, John G. Sutton, has his own YouTube channel and discusses it on his videos. He states specifically that Paul Sykes was one prisoner known to engage in sex with other inmates. He says Paul was part of a group of alpha-males who groomed younger, more vulnerable cons, offering them protection from their fellow alphas in return for sexual favours.  

Was this sexual abuse then or was it consensual? You can imagine the poor lads were without much choice to say no. These youngsters would oftentimes end up on the medical wing with severe injuries to their rectum but would never admit the cause. Some, who were so haunted by this loss of dignity, attempted to take their own lives. They would hang themselves or slit their wrists – occasionally being successful. 

It was about power and domination for someone like Paul. This can be measured by his acts of violence everywhere he went. He was a testosterone-fuelled predator who, if he wanted sex, would probably do anything to get it.  

The Rumours

Unconfirmed rumours were that he would drag these inmates into his cell, knock them out, then take what he wanted.

Another was that he, at one time, was a cleaner on a young offenders’ wing. While there, he would hone in on a lad he fancied and rape them in their cell without any interference from the guards.

A final and more outlandish claim was that he would play something called, “the baccy game”, wherein he would offer to give a YP tobacco if they could climb through the gap in a chair, and then, when they proceeded to get stuck, he would pull down their kegs and have his way.  

But are these rumours too farfetched to be real – spread by inmates or guards who bore grudges towards the man? It was common knowledge that guards would scare young offenders by threatening to chuck them in a cell with Paul Sykes, so clearly, they liked to embellish his perverted reputation. But, if he did indeed rape other inmates, then why was nothing ever raised to prison services? Why was he never convicted of a sexual offence?  

Truth or Lies?

It is entirely plausible that he gained the confidence of these young men, groomed them with offers of protection, and then had sex with them in return. This in itself is a taking of their liberty and could still be considered a sexual crime.  

Certainly, many of his victims will still be tortured by their memories to this day. But to get away with attacking and raping inmates at his leisure seems unthinkable without any action being taken. Nevertheless, if there is any shred of truth to these rumours of violent rape, then it is sickening that no lawful retribution was ever exacted.