Glyndŵr University short course examines notorious crimes and criminals in British history

The UK’s leading criminology department is offering a chance to explore issues surrounding some of the most infamous crimes and criminals in British history.

Wrexham Glyndŵr University, which is ranked 1st in the UK for Teaching Quality and Student Experience with an Overall Rating of 1st in Wales for the Criminology subject area in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021, will examine the key issues around the criminal justice system in the Notorious Crimes and Criminals short course.

The course looks at the likes of Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Moors Murderer Myra Hindley, serial rapist John Worboys and Lukasz Reszpondek, who killed Ermatati Rodgers in Wrexham in 2008.

Miscarriages of justice will also feature in the course in the form of Timothy Evans, who was executed for the murder of his wife and unborn daughter at their home in London – but the real culprit was serial killer John Christie.

The course will look at how these notorious cases plus many others, have framed debates about criminal justice. Students will gain an insight into how crimes may be investigated and of the possible aims of sentencing.

Jo Prescott, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, said: “Within the short course we will explore some of the key crimes and cases that have defined the way that crime is presented.

“These are cases that have sparked widespread debate and continue to fascinate all that choose to learn about them.

“There’s a wide variety of cases that the students will cover, some of which are historical and others more contemporary. The course enables students to think critically about how crime impacts legislation and law making and teaches them more generally about how society and the criminal justice system respond to crime.”

The 12-week course will also enable students to identify groups who may be vulnerable to crime and victimisation.

Colin Stuhlfelder, Lecturer in Built Environment at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, has previously taken the course.

He said: “Notorious Crimes and Criminals was a really great course and offered much more than just an insight into the crimes and criminals you would expect to hear about on a course like this.

“It explored these incidents from a number of informed perspectives, including Policing and Criminology, enjoyably pushing my thinking around how I view the people involved and the way their crimes were investigated and prosecuted.

“This wasn’t just a rogues gallery, this was a brilliant chance to chat and discuss crimes and criminals with some really well informed people, and I know I and the other students really appreciated being given that opportunity.”

Wrexham Glyndŵr University’s Criminology programme is in a subject area (Criminology) which has an Overall Rating of 1st in Wales and 10th in the UK in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021.

In the 2021 guide, the Criminology subject area was ranked 1st in the UK for Teaching Quality and Student Experience.

For more information on the course, which starts on November 2 visit the Wrexham Glyndwr University website.