Reenactment of a Killer and Serial Rapist

About the Book

This is the true story of Helen Stockford. In 1987, Mark Shirley was convicted of and jailed for the ritualized murder of sixty-seven-year-old widow Mary Wainwright. After serving many years in prison, he was released on March 20, 2009. He then broke into the home of thirty-nine-year-old Helen Stockford, where he attempted to recreate the crime perpetrated on Wainwright twenty-two years before. In Reenactment of a Killer and Serial Rapist, Stockford narrates the true story of her battle against evil. She tells how she was sexually brutalized in her own home by Shirley. For more than five hours, she struggled for survival, and despite the cruelty she endured, she held on to hope that she would live. After surviving this horrific attack, Stockford kept the incident secret for several days until she broke down and reported it to the police. After nine long months of fear, Shirley was found guilty of six charges at the Bristol Crown Court and was given six life sentences with a nine-year tariff. In this memoir, Stockford shares how she has become a voice for numerous victims in the United Kingdom.

About the Author

I would like to say a very big thank you to the Avon and Somerset police for all their hard work and support plus a very big thank you to Blue Stone CID. I would not have got through 2009 without the support of my two liaison officers. Also a very big thanks you to Rosie Collins, the barrister of the case plus CPS. I would also like to thank all the staff at the Bridge Sexual Assault Unit in Bristol, without the support from the staff there I would not be here today. Last of all, I’d like to thank all the media especially Geoff Bennett from The Evening Post, plus Steve Brodie from the BBC. Without the support of the media and the support of Charlotte Leslie MP and the general public, I would not have made changes for other victims through my campaign. Also I’d like to thank the Ellen Degeneres show through Youtube because it helped my two daughters, Amy and Molly, to support my younger son through such a terribly dark time. So thank you very much to everyone for all the kindness and support. Helen Stockford