Richard Blenkey
Bernard and Blenkey exchanged a total of 36 letters, but this time, as himself. He wanted to make sure that Blenkey got the jail time he deserved, and put him behind bars for good.
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The first was to the point: Bernard simply said that he thought Blenkey's treatment in the media was unfair, and that he would try and help him 'uncover the truth' about what happened to Paul - never saying he would get Blenkey out of prison.
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One thing Bernard noticed upon receiving his first response from Blenkey was that the letter looked as though a child had written it. Words were scrawled half in capital letters, and even simple words had been misspelled.
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Their correspondence was mostly mundane in the beginning, they spoke mainly about the allotment, and about Blenkey's chickens. Eventually Blenkey begun pleading for a visit from his new friend.
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The visit happened, and Bernard just emphasised that if they were to get to the bottom of what happened to Paul, he would have to be completely honest. When asked about what he was doing on the day of Paul's murder, Blenkey's response was sketchy and full of contradictions.
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The visit made Bernard feel uncomfortable, saying he almost wanted the room to know that Blenkey wasn't his friend, and he was only visiting to turn him over, but obviously couldn't reveal this in front of Blenkey.
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This led to Bernard confronting Blenkey in his next letter. He flat-out called him a liar. Blenkey's reply would arrive two weeks later, and although he had convinced himself that he was innocent, what he did next came as a surprise.
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'Great news Bernard!' was how his next letter started. Apparently a man named 'Mr Punk' had written to Blenkey and admitted to the murder of Paul Pearson. The letter from 'Mr Punk' appeared to frame Blenkey, saying that the sobbing heard from Blenkey's allotment was really 'him', with details about the murder, including the location of Paul's shoes, which at this point, had not been found.
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Bernard decided to play along, because it was evident that 'Mr Punk' was Blenkey with messier handwriting, and this way, he may get a confession, but this would prove difficult. Bombarded with nonsense letters from 'Mr Punk', and with the trial only three weeks away, Bernard decided he needed to confront Blenkey, so he visited him and told him that he knew Mr Punk was a lie, and that Blenkey was the murderer.
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This ended up having an effect on Blenkey, as a few days later, he finally admitted to the crime. It had taken a year, but Bernard finally had enough evidence to hand over to the police to ensure that Blenkey would not be able to plead innocent, saving Paul Pearson's family from the pains of enduring a long trial.
About Richard Blenkey:
Richard had struggled with learning difficulties, and spent his life fairly isolated, with his neighbours being the closest thing to friends.
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In August 1991, Richard Blenkey abducted, assaulted, and then strangled seven-year-old Paul Pearson to death.
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Paul was friends with a boy called Ian Ramsdale, whose parents owned an allotment next to Blenkey, which was frequented by the boys.
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Blenkey, the Ramsdales, and Paul grew close, with Blenkey even babysitting on occasion. To the families, he seemed a simple man, but he was far from this.
Richard Blenkey
Richard had struggled with learning difficulties, and spent his life fairly isolated, with his neighbours being the closest thing to friends.
​
In August 1991, Richard Blenkey abducted, assaulted, and then strangled seven-year-old Paul Pearson to death.
​
Paul was friends with a boy called Ian Ramsdale, whose parents owned an allotment next to Blenkey, which was frequented by the boys.
​
Blenkey, the Ramsdales, and Paul grew close, with Blenkey even babysitting on occasion. To the families, he seemed a simple man, but he was far from this.
