Student charged with vice girl murders stares down during court appearance

Stephen Griffiths, 40, who referred to himself as the "Crossbow Cannibal" when he appeared before magistrates last month, is charged with murdering Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth.

During yesterday's hearing, he sat behind a table for the 26-minute hearing . He was wearing a grey prison jumper and had heavy stubble.

He appeared on the screen in front of a blue wall and spent most of the time staring down with his arms folded or his head in his hands.

The judge, Mr Justice Openshaw, decided the provisional trial date of November 16, set at the last hearing, was to be abandoned and added a new date to be fixed at a later hearing.

Griffiths, a criminology student, is charged with murdering Ms Blamires, 36, between May 20 and May 25; murdering Ms Rushworth, 43, between June 22 2009 and May 25 this year; and murdering Ms Armitage, 31, between April 25 and May 25 this year.

Ms Blamires was last seen on May 21, Ms Armitage has been missing since April 26, and Ms Rushworth disappeared on June 22 last year.

Body parts belonging to Ms Blamires were found in the River Aire at Shipley on May 25 and tests confirmed a small piece of human tissue later found in the water belonged to Ms Armitage.

When he was asked for his name during his first appearance at Bradford Magistrates' Court on May 28, Griffiths replied: "The Crossbow Cannibal."

Asked for his address, he answered: "Erm... here, I guess."

Griffiths, of Thornton Road, Bradford, was arrested on May 24. He was told his case will be heard again on October 15 at Bradford Crown Court.