A man who called himself an ‘angel’ left his victims’ gruesome crime scene – both bodies stabbed repeatedly and ditched in their baths – before leaving behind a confession
A serial killer left behind a chilling confession letter, signing it with the name The Angel of Mercy after butchering two of his neighbours and leaving a single pink rose.
Andrew Dawson, described by his own brother as an ‘evil psychopath’ carried out both murders within days of each other. Despite the name he gave to himself, the murders had nothing to do with mercy. Both victims were stabbed at least 40 times in separate, brutal attacks before being left in their baths.
The confession letter which was found in a notebook left in Dawson’s flat, which he had written, torn off the book and thrown away but it had left an indentation allowing the letter to be extracted by special technology.
The letter read -‘To the head of homicide, I want to confess to a murder, I stabbed a man to death, the man lies in a bath of water. Two major wounds to his left side, one, maybe two to his chest, one to his back and one to the base of his neck. This is no hoax, if you don’t find him in a week, I will give you his address.
The pink rose was a nice touch. Yours, the Angel of Mercy.’
The first victim, John Matthews, 66, was found dead in his flat on 25 July 2011, after concerns from family members and work colleagues about his absence. His son went to check on him and had no response but noticed flies gathering at the window.
The Police forced entry and found Matthews’ body. He had at least 18 stab wounds to his face, neck and head. Attending officers described an overpowering smell of bleach at the property, suggesting Dawson had attempted to destroy evidence that could link him to the crime.
Five days later, the second victim Paul Hancock, 58 was found dead in his property in his bath, which was filled with brown sloughed water. He was found with at least 22 stab wounds to the head, chest and body. The property appeared it had been left mid way through cleaning.
At the time of both murders, he was out on licence having already faced a life sentence in 1981 for the murder of Henry Walsh, 91. The method he used in the Walsh murder mirrored the brutal attacks on Matthews and Hancock. Dawson stabbed Walsh with a bread knife, and was released from prison in 1999.
After his release, Mr Dawson was repeatedly recalled to prison due to concerns of violent behaviour and alcohol abuse. In 2003, he was sent back to prison due to concerns with alcohol abuse but was released in April 2004, only to be recalled in February 2005 for the possession of a knife however was released by July that year.
His third recall was in October 2007 for alcohol consumption and was released in September 2008 after being classified as ‘medium risk, serious harm’ by probation officers. He was placed in Private housing in April 2009.
In May 2010, Dawson was asked to leave after falling into rent arrears and causing trouble with his neighbours. Later a fire broke out in a nearby flat, which led to an argument between him and the landlord who he assaulted by pushing him in the chest. He was arrested for assault and arson but was bailed under conditions to not contact the landlord.
Despite the history, probation officers called against a fourth recall to prison, as they dismissed the assault as ‘minor.’ Instead he was relocated to Waterford Drive, the same property he lived in with neighbours Matthews and Hancock, his future victims. When living at the property his risk level was downgraded resulting in fewer checks.
Dawson was one out of six siblings and is believed to have had a troubled upbringing. He was in and out of trouble with the police from a young age and is believed to start sniffing glue from just 13, then later progressed to cannabis and other drugs.
His brother, Malcolm Dawson spoke out when it had happened and said he wasn’t surprised at all, “My brother is an evil psychopath and it was only a matter of time before he killed again” he stated.
After days of searching for Dawson, he was arrested in Whitehaven, Cumbria and found with multiple kitchen knives and camping equipment.
At the start of the murder trial in 2011, Andrew denied murdering John and Paul on the grounds of diminished responsibility but eventually changed his plea during the trial.
“He just stared straight ahead, and didn’t show any emotion. This time, he said guilty,” said Claire Duffin, Crime Correspondent at Derby Telegraph.
Dawson was sentenced to a whole life jail term, by the judge Justice Dobbs who told him, “These were pre-meditated and planned, brutal killings. Each had the misfortune of being your neighbour who had no chance.
“When they said life, they should have meant it and kept him in for life,” his brother said after the trial in 2011.
“If the Government would like to appoint me as an official hangman I – and others of my family come to think of it – would gladly put the noose around his neck and then pull the lever. He should suffer because that evil devil deserves no less. I would not lose sleep over it.”
