Gregory Davis
Encyclopedia
Gregory Davis is an English spree killer
and former art student who was convicted of the double manslaughter of Dorothy Rogers and her son Michael Rogers in 2003. He is currently serving an indefinite sentence in Littlemore Hospital.
, Buckinghamshire
, England
as the son of a civil engineer
and a care assistant
. He attended secondary school
at Radcliffe School.
, and later at Northampton University. One of his works of art made during this period consisted of a trophy plaque bearing the names of his favourite serial killers.
and used his diary to plot to murder. Progressing on a diary entry that spoke of a desire to kill ad infinitum
"all over the world" he eventually went on a murder spree on January 28, 2003. Working his way through a compiled hit list he first paid visit to Stewart Johnson who escaped as kitchen fitters were working in his home. Davis then continued down the list to Stantonbury where the home of Dorothy Rogers failed to put up an obstacle to his murder aspirations.
. Mr Justice Richard Aikens accepted the plea after a team of five psychiatrists diagnosed him with major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder
, alcohol dependence
and to be suffering from a psychotic episode at the time of the crime. He was given an indefinite sentence to be served at Broadmoor Hospital
. In 2009 he was transferred to Littlemore Hospital where he is allowed out on short release.
A Mental Health Review Tribunal will decide on his eventual release in July, 2011.
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
and former art student who was convicted of the double manslaughter of Dorothy Rogers and her son Michael Rogers in 2003. He is currently serving an indefinite sentence in Littlemore Hospital.
Early life
Gregory Davis was born to a respectable family residing in Great LinfordGreat Linford
Great Linford is a historic village, district and civil parish in the northern part of Milton Keynes, England, between Wolverton and Newport Pagnell.-Great Linford village:...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as the son of a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and a care assistant
Personal Care Assistant
A Personal Care Assistant - variously known under alternate names such as caregiver, personal care attendant, patient care assistant, personal support worker and home care aide - is a paid, employed person who helps persons who are disabled or chronically ill with their activities of daily living ...
. He attended secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
at Radcliffe School.
Art studies
Davis first studied art during his sixth formSixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
, and later at Northampton University. One of his works of art made during this period consisted of a trophy plaque bearing the names of his favourite serial killers.
Murders
Davis was himself planning to be a serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
and used his diary to plot to murder. Progressing on a diary entry that spoke of a desire to kill ad infinitum
Ad infinitum
Ad infinitum is a Latin phrase meaning "to infinity."In context, it usually means "continue forever, without limit" and thus can be used to describe a non-terminating process, a non-terminating repeating process, or a set of instructions to be repeated "forever," among other uses...
"all over the world" he eventually went on a murder spree on January 28, 2003. Working his way through a compiled hit list he first paid visit to Stewart Johnson who escaped as kitchen fitters were working in his home. Davis then continued down the list to Stantonbury where the home of Dorothy Rogers failed to put up an obstacle to his murder aspirations.
Victims
- Dorothy Rogers, a 48-year old divorcee, was stabbed 31 times at her home in StantonburyStantonburyStantonbury is a district of Milton Keynes, ceremonial Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the northern edge, between Great Linford and Wolverton...
. - Michael Rogers, aged 19, was stabbed, bludgeoned and disembowelled at a children's playground.
- Mick Cowles was attacked with a hammer and seriously wounded.
Trial and imprisonment
On 15 December 2003 Davis stood trial at Luton Crown Court and pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibilityDiminished responsibility
In criminal law, diminished responsibility is a potential defense by excuse by which defendants argue that although they broke the law, they should not be held fully criminally liable for doing so, as their mental functions were "diminished" or impaired. The defense's acceptance in American...
. Mr Justice Richard Aikens accepted the plea after a team of five psychiatrists diagnosed him with major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder , also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear in social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life...
, alcohol dependence
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
and to be suffering from a psychotic episode at the time of the crime. He was given an indefinite sentence to be served at Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
. In 2009 he was transferred to Littlemore Hospital where he is allowed out on short release.
A Mental Health Review Tribunal will decide on his eventual release in July, 2011.