THE son of the Yorkshire Ripper’s first victim has revealed he phoned Peter Sutcliffe’s family to offer his “condolences” when the killer died.
Richard McCann said he once plotted to kill Sutcliffe — but later forgave him after listening to South African peace activist Desmond Tutu.
The married dad was just five in 1975 when his mother Wilma McCann, 28, became the first of 13 women slain by Sutcliffe.
Richard told a podcast that when the serial killer died in 2020: “I just felt the urge to call Peter Sutcliffe’s brother to offer my condolences.
“I have to say, I did want revenge. My sister Sonia and I once planned to kill Sutcliffe.
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“But that hatred left me in 2010 when I met Tutu, who gave a lecture on forgiveness.”
Richard added: “Our plan was for her to write to him - change the name, so he couldn’t spot it - and get to know him.
“Because he would have visitors from time to time.
“She would go in and visit him and then she would attack him and kill him.”
But after hearing about the power of forgiveness from Archbishop Tutu, who chaired South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Richard let go of his hatred.
He said: “That left me in 2010 when I met Desmond Tutu, who gave a lecture, after hearing that fantastic orator speaking about forgiveness.”
Richard said he told Tutu: “’You’ve just helped me forgive the man that murdered my mum.”
He added: “I didn’t become Peter Sutcliffe’s friend, but what I learned by listening to [Tutu’s] words, was that forgiveness is for you.
“Letting go of that anger and resentment and need for revenge - wanting to kill him - that’s not good for me and for those around me.
“So that was something that I knew I needed to do.
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“The drama is called The Long Shadow for a reason because you never let go of these things completely and it still comes back sometimes.”
Sutcliffe’s sickening story is told in new ITV drama The Long Shadow.
