Peter Bryan

PeterBryanMugShot

Peter Bryan (born 4 October 1969) is a British serial killer and cannibal who was convicted of multiple murders. His case is notable for the failures in the mental health system that allowed him to commit his crimes.

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Peter Bryan was born in London, England. Little is known about his early life, but he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at a young age. He was first admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 1987.

Crimes[edit | edit source]

First Murder[edit | edit source]

In 1993, Peter Bryan committed his first known murder. He killed a young woman named Nisha Sheth, who was the daughter of the family that owned a shop where Bryan worked. He was subsequently arrested and convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Bryan was sent to a high-security psychiatric hospital, Broadmoor Hospital.

Release and Subsequent Murders[edit | edit source]

In 2001, Bryan was transferred to a lower-security facility, Riverside House, and in 2004, he was granted conditional release. Shortly after his release, Bryan killed his friend Brian Cherry in his flat in Walthamstow, East London. He was found by police cooking Cherry's brain in a frying pan.

Following this murder, Bryan was re-arrested and taken to a secure hospital, Broadmoor Hospital. However, he managed to kill again while in custody. He murdered fellow patient Richard Loudwell at Broadmoor Hospital in April 2004.

Legal Proceedings[edit | edit source]

Peter Bryan was charged with the murders of Brian Cherry and Richard Loudwell. In 2005, he was convicted of both murders and sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he never be released.

Mental Health System Failures[edit | edit source]

The case of Peter Bryan highlighted significant failures in the mental health system in the United Kingdom. Despite his history of violence and mental illness, Bryan was released into the community, where he was able to commit further murders. An independent inquiry into his case found that there were numerous missed opportunities to prevent his release and subsequent killings.