Brian Darby, 80, spend decades plotting and fantasising about becoming a serial killer.15:30, 03 Jul 2026Updated 16:03, 03 Jul 2026A former police officer who wanted to be a serial killer and idolised Jack the Ripper and the Moors Murderers has been jailed again after revealing online he fantasised about raping and murdering women and girls.‌Brian Darby, 80, was initially jailed for life in 2002 after acting on his murderous plans by stalking potential victims and breaking into one woman's home before putting a wire around her neck. At the time, he admitted he wanted to be "as evil as possible" and was eventually released from prison on licence in 2017.‌Almost as soon as he was freed, the sick elderly man started looking at indecent pictures of children online. He was arrested in February this year after creating and distributing indecent images of children that he created using AI.‌Following his arrest, police also found a series of online chats where he had shared horrifying rape and murder fantasies. This included posting a sexual fantasy involving killing children on Reddit and online chats which featured his ambitions to strangle, smother and drown women.Prosecutor Bartholomew O’Toole told the hearing one post spelled out the "strangulation of his wife with family gathering around to voice encouragement and advice". Wood Green Crown Court in London also heard that Darby said schools should "train girls to be sex slaves and dominatrices", while women should be killed at the age of 30 in another post.Today, Judge John Law sentenced Darby to four years in prison, with an extra two on licence once he's freed. But he told the octogenarian, who has been recalled to prison to continue serving his life licence behind bars, that he may now die in jail without ever being released again.‌He said Darby was "emotionally detached and indifferent" when quizzed about his latest set of offending, and "did not appear to be embarrassed or ashamed". Judge Law highlighted that the online rape and murder fantasies "echo" Darby's 2002 convictions for attempted murder, conspiracy to murder and aggravated burglary.The judge assessed Darby as a dangerous offender, pointing out to his "entrenched interest in violent sexual material involving children and adults, your online dissemination of that material and fantasies, and a pattern of offending".‌In the 1970s, Darby was sacked from his police constable role by Leicestershire Police after he was convicted of indecently assaulting young boys. In the 1980s, he went on to work as a health and safety officer for the BBC.Darby didn't act alone. After grooming a 14-year-old girl called Jeannette White, the pair formed a deeply troubling and tumultuous relationship, and she eventually became an accomplice to his heinous plans. They both fantasised about the depraved violence and worked together to find potential victims. Darby even described White as 'my Myra Hindley'.In 2001, the pair were convicted of conspiracy to murder, with Darby also admitting to attempted murder. At the time, the Old Bailey in London heard that White was "under the spell" of Darby as they exchanged around 450 pages of letters about serial killing, rape, cannibalism and necrophilia.‌By 2000, the fantasies had been turned into reality as the couple plotted to murder a woman and her children in their home in Westminster, while Darby answered adverts from women looking for a room to let so that he could stalk them. A woman who was 45 at the time narrowly escaped murder when Darby called at her home in Ealing, west London, posing as a BBC researcher.He placed a wire noose around her neck intending to rape and kill her, but she managed to escape into the street, the 2002 sentencing hearing was told. Showing extraordinary courage, the mother of four dashed out into the street "screaming like a crazy woman," later telling the court: "I wanted to be alive for my children."Olivia Beach, representing Darby, said he accepts his actions were "wrong", and he blames it on "addiction which is something out of his control and there is nothing he can do about it". The court also heard Darby volunteers in prison to listen to the problems and issues of other inmates.‌Darby, from Enfield, north London, will serve around two and a half years of his prison term before being considered for release, but he must now also convince the Parole Board that he is safe to be freed again from his life sentence.He pleaded guilty to nine obscene communications charges, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and two counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child.Detective Inspector Andy Cook of the Met’s Online Child Sexual Abuse Exploitation team, said: “The Met takes offending of this nature incredibly seriously and we are committed to bringing those who share indecent images of children to justice.Article continues below“Darby is a vile individual whose previous offending makes this case all the more disturbing.“We launched an investigation as soon as we received intelligence that he was suspected of uploading indecent images of children to the internet. Darby was arrested in February and was immediately recalled to prison.“Extensive digital forensic work on Darby’s phone by Met detectives helped build a strong case against him. He was left with little option except face up to what he had done.”