Malcolm Fairley was at the heart of one of Britain’s largest manhunts in 1984, earning the nickname The Fox.
Malcolm Fairley was the man at the centre of one of Britain’s biggest manhunts but where is he now?
Manhunt: Chasing The Fox is now available to stream on Netflix after the two-part true crime docu-series was released on Sunday, November 23.
Back in 1984, Michael Fairley was a sex predator and burglar who earned the nickname “The Fox” as he lurked inside his victims’ homes, creating makeshift “dens” from blankets and furniture.
He would consume their food, watch their telly and rummage through their belongings while Fairley patiently awaited his victims’ return, often armed with a shotgun.
Six months passed with The Fox still at large and, by the time he was apprehended for crimes including rape and indecent assault in September 1984, he had racked up 81 offences.
Where is Malcolm Fairley now?
Malcolm Fairley was handed six life sentences at St Albans Crown Court in February 1985 for sexual offences, burglaries and possession of a firearm during his crime wave across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Forty-two years post his conviction, Fairley passed away in May 2024, aged 71, at HMP Hull, where he was discovered alone on his prison cell floor.
An inquest concluded that he had died of natural causes, specifically a heart attack.
Fairley had a history of heart issues and was diagnosed with angina in 2019 and was on regular medication.
Fairley was actually up for parole consideration in October 2023 but his application was turned down by the parole board.
As reported by the St Albans and Harpenden Review, during Fairley’s conviction, judge Justice Caulfield told him: “There are degrees of wickedness beyond condemnatory description.
“Your crimes fall within this category. You desecrated and defiled men and women in their own homes… You are a decadent advertisement for evil pornographers.”
Manhunt: Chasing The Fox can be streamed on Netflix.