48 Facts About Rose West

Rosemary Pauline West is an English serial killer who collaborated with her husband, Fred West, in the torture and murder of at least nine young women between 1973 and 1987; she murdered her eight-year-old stepdaughter Charmaine in 1971.

Rose West is currently an inmate at HM Prison New Hall, Flockton, Rose West Yorkshire, after being convicted in 1995 of ten murders.

Rose West was born Rosemary Pauline Letts in Northam, Devon, to William Andrew "Bill" Letts and Daisy Gwendoline Fuller after a difficult pregnancy.

Rose West was the fifth of seven children born into a poor family.

Rose West grew up into a moody teenager, prone to daydreaming and performing poorly at school.

Rose first encountered Fred West at a Cheltenham bus stop in early 1969, shortly after Rose had turned 15 and when Fred was aged 27.

Rose West twice refused to go on a date with Fred but allowed him to accompany her home.

Shortly thereafter, Rose West began a relationship with Fred, becoming a frequent visitor at the caravan park where he lived with the two children from his first marriage to Catherine "Rena" Costello, daughter Anne Marie and stepdaughter Charmaine.

Rose West became a willing childminder to Fred's daughters, who she noted were neglected and whom she initially treated with care and affection.

On several occasions in the early days of their courtship, Rose West insisted she and Fred take the girls on excursions to gather wildflowers.

Several months later, Rose West introduced Fred to her family, who were aghast at their daughter's choice of partner.

Rose West's mother was unimpressed with Fred's boastful and arrogant behaviour, and correctly concluded he was a pathological liar.

On her 16th birthday, Rose West left the home for troubled teenagers to return to her parents while Fred was serving a thirty-day sentence for theft and unpaid fines.

Rose West's father made one final effort to prevent his daughter from seeing Fred, and Rose West was examined by a police surgeon in February 1970, who confirmed she was pregnant.

On 17 October 1970, Rose West gave birth to their first child: a daughter they named Heather Ann.

Anne Marie later recollected her sister repeatedly antagonised Rose West by making statements such as: "My real mummy wouldn't swear or shout at us" in response to Rose West's scathing language.

Rose West is believed to have murdered Charmaine shortly before Fred's prison release date of 24 June 1971.

Rose West informed staff at Charmaine's primary school that the child had moved with her mother to London.

Rose West later buried her naked body in the yard close to the back door of the flat, and he remained adamant he had not dismembered her.

Rose West is known to have visited Fred's family in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, to enquire as to her children's whereabouts and welfare in the latter half of August 1971.

Rose West is believed to have been murdered by strangulation, possibly in the back seat of Fred's Ford Popular and likely while intoxicated.

Shortly after giving birth to her second child, Rose West began to work as a prostitute, operating from an upstairs room at Cromwell Street and advertising her services in a local contact magazine.

The room included a private bar, and a red light outside the door warned when Rose West was not to be disturbed.

Rose West carried the sole key to this room around her neck, and Fred installed a separate doorbell to the household which her clients were instructed to ring whenever they visited.

Much of the money earned from Rose West's prostitution was spent on home improvements.

The children feared being the recipients of violence from both parents, but Rose West inflicted the vast majority of the abuse.

Between 1972 and 1992, the Rose West children were admitted to the casualty units of local hospitals 31 times; the injuries were explained as accidents and never reported to social services.

On one occasion, as Stephen was mopping the kitchen floor with a cloth, Rose West accidentally stepped into the bowl of water he had been using.

The child was ordered to undress, with Rose West tearing her dress from her body upon noting the child's hesitation.

Rose West was always present in the room when these acts occurred to ensure the girl did not reveal her true age.

On one occasion when Anne Marie was aged 13 or 14, Rose West took her to a local pub, insisting she drink several glasses of barley wine.

Rose West, who had begun to engage in prostitution by this time, explained to Owens that she worked as a masseuse when the younger woman enquired about the steady stream of men visiting her.

Rose West joined her in the back seat, with the explanation she wanted a "girls' chat" as Fred drove.

When Owens began to protest, Fred stopped the car, referred to Owens as a "bitch" and punched her into unconsciousness before he and Rose West bound and gagged her with a scarf and duct tape.

When Owens screamed, Rose West smothered her with a pillow, further restrained her about the neck and performed cunnilingus on her.

Rose West and Rose then calmly asked Owens whether she would consider returning to work as their nanny.

Later that day, Owens escaped from a launderette she and Rose West had entered and returned home.

On 6 August 1992, Fred was arrested after being accused of raping his 13-year-old daughter three times and Rose West was arrested for child cruelty.

Ferguson emphasised that Fred, before meeting Rose West, had committed at least one murder strikingly similar to those at issue in the present trial, and that the prosecution's case was largely circumstantial.

Rose West contended that Rose was unaware of the extent of Fred's sadism and urged the jury to not be prejudiced by her promiscuity and domineering manner.

Rose West claimed never to have met six of the victims buried at Cromwell Street, and to recall very little of her assault on Owens.

When questioned as to life at Cromwell Street, Rose West claimed she and Fred had lived separate lives, which was inconsistent with the earlier testimony of witnesses who had visited or lodged at their address.

In reference to her relationship with her eldest child, Rose West admitted her relations with Heather were strained before claiming to the court that her daughter was a lesbian who had physically and psychologically abused her siblings.

Rose West had confided that Rose had participated in the mutilation and dismemberment of Robinson, having personally removed her child from her womb after her death.

In reference to the remaining eight murders for which Rose West was charged, Leach testified that Fred had confided Rose West had "played a major part" in these murders.

In September 2001, Rose West announced her intention not to lodge further appeals against her convictions while maintaining her innocence.

Rose West acknowledged that they knew each other from being on the same wing, but denied further speculation that the two were "having an affair".

In 2019, Rose West was transferred to HM Prison New Hall in Rose West Yorkshire.