Editing Colin Ireland (section)

== Early adulthood ==
In the attempt to make ends meet, Ireland had a series of manual jobs,<ref name=ci/> then in December 1975, he was convicted of car theft, criminal damage and two burglaries, for which he was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.<ref name=ci/> Ireland was released in November 1976 and moved to [[Swindon]], [[Wiltshire]]. He lived with a woman and her children for a few months.<ref name=ci/> In 1977, he was convicted of [[extortion]], for which he was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.<ref name=ci/> In 1980, he was convicted of [[robbery]], for which he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.<ref name=ci/> In 1981, he was convicted of attempted deception.<ref name=ci/> 

In 1982, Ireland married Virginia Zammit; the couple and their daughter lived in the [[Holloway, London|Holloway]] area of [[London]].<ref name=ci/> In 1985, he was convicted and sentenced to six months for "[[Cheating_(law)#Going_equipped_for_cheat |going equipped to cheat]]".<ref name=ci/> He divorced in 1987 after his wife discovered he had committed adultery. In 1989, in [[Devon]], he married Janet Young; he was [[domestic violence|violent towards her]] and stole from her.<ref name=ci/> In the early 1990s, they separated; she and her children became homeless. He moved to [[Southend-on-Sea]], where he became homeless and lived in a [[hostel]].<ref name=ci/> He later moved to his own flat. Whilst living there, he travelled to the Coleherne Arms, a [[gay pub]] which specialised in [[S&M]] in Earl's Court, London, where he first met his victims.