Bernard O'Mahoney vs the People

The Sunday People offered Bernard £4,000 for the letters, and asked if he could provide a lady to pose for a photo for the story - so readers could associate the face with a name. They promised to not identify the woman, saying she could wear a wig and heavy makeup if she wanted to.

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As Bernard was in London with his brother and his sister-in-law, Carol, he offered to split the money with her if she posed for the photo. They went into the People offices, Carol had her makeup done, and was subject to a range of questions about her background. In all the interrogation, the situation got heated, and the three of them stormed out.

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The next day, headlines exposed Bernard's work, identifying him, and running a story saying that Bernard had tried to sell Sutcliffe's 'love letters' and taped phone calls, making Sutcliffe out to be the heartbroken victim in all this.

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His work has been widely reported on, and in some cases, criticised. Bernard said journalists turned their noses up at him and his work, and printing lies about his methods. although as he pointed out, when they go undercover they are essentially doing the same.

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However, this did not deter Bernard from writing these letters, as Richard Blenkey would soon find out.