Editing Colin Ireland (section)

{{Short description|British serial killer (1954–2012)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox serial killer
| name              = Colin Ireland
| image             = 
| caption           = 
| birthname         = 
| alias             = Gay Slayer
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|df=yes|1954|3|16}}
| birth_place       = [[Dartford]], [[Kent]], England
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2012|2|21|1954|3|16}}
| death_place       = [[HM Prison Wakefield]], [[West Yorkshire]], England
| penalty           = [[Life imprisonment|5 life sentences]]
| victims           = 5
| beginyear         = 8 March
| endyear           = 12 June 1993
| country           = United Kingdom
| apprehended       = 21 July 1993
| conviction        = [[Murder]] (5 counts)
}}
'''Colin Ireland''' (16 March 1954&nbsp;– 21 February 2012) was a British [[serial killer]] known as the '''Gay Slayer''', because his victims were gay men. Criminologist [[David Wilson (criminologist)|David Wilson]] believes that Ireland was a [[psychopath]].<ref>''Born to Kill?'', [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]], 21 August 2012</ref>

Ireland suffered a severely dysfunctional upbringing.<ref name=ci>{{cite web|url=https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/colin-ireland|title=Colin Ireland Crime Files|date=30 June 2017|publisher=[[Crime + Investigation (Australian TV channel)|Crime + Investigation]]|url-status=live|accessdate=3 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519080319/http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/colin-ireland |archive-date=19 May 2014 }}</ref> He committed various crimes from the age of 16 and had served time in [[borstal]]s and prisons.<ref name=ci/><ref name=BM/> While living in [[Southend-on-Sea|Southend]], he started frequenting the [[Coleherne, Earls Court|Coleherne]], a [[gay pub]] in [[Earl's Court]], London.<ref name=McKenna>{{cite news |last=McKenna |first=Neil |title=Fleet Street's perverse cocktail of kinky sex and a serial killer|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/fleet-streets-perverse-cocktail-of-kinky-sex-and-a-serial-killer-neil-mckenna-berates-the-reporting-of-a-series-of-homosexual-murders-1492873.html |work=The Independent |date=20 June 1993 |accessdate=17 August 2013}}</ref> Ireland sought men who liked the passive role and [[sadomasochism|sado-masochism]], so he could readily restrain them as they initially believed it was a sexual game.<ref name=Kirby2>{{cite news|last=Kirby|first=Terry|title=Serial killer locked up for life|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/serial-killer-locked-up-for-life-to-take-one-human-life-is-an-outrage-to-take-five-is-carnage-says-judge-1468716.html |work=The Independent |date=21 December 1993 |accessdate=17 August 2013}}</ref>

Ireland was [[heterosexual]]: he had been twice married to women, he pretended to be gay only to befriend potential victims. Ireland's murders were not sexually motivated.<ref name=Kirby2/> He was highly organised and carried a full murder kit of rope, handcuffs and a full change of clothes to each murder. After killing his victim he cleaned the flat of any forensic evidence linking him to the scene and stayed in the flat until morning in order to avoid arousing suspicion from leaving in the middle of the night.<ref name=Kirby/>

Ireland was sentenced to five counts of [[life imprisonment]] for the murders on 20 December 1993<ref>{{cite news |title=Killer Who Targeted Gays in London Gets Life Term |author=William Tuohy |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-21-mn-4196-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=21 December 1993 |access-date=17 August 2013}}</ref> and remained imprisoned until his death on 21 February 2012, at the age of 57.