A criminology student gave his name as ‘the crossbow cannibal' this morning when he appeared in court charged with the murders of three women in Bradford.
Stephen Griffiths is accused of killing Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth.
All three worked as prostitutes.
The 40-year-old appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court and when asked to confirm his name he said: ‘The crossbow cannibal.’
Relatives of some of the victims were in court for the hearing.
He was charged with murdering Ms Blamires between 20 May and 25 May; murdering Ms Rushworth between 22 June 2009 and 25 May this year, and murdering Ms Armitage between 25 April and 25 May this year.
District Judge Mrs Susan Bouch remanded Mr Griffiths in custody to appear at Bradford Crown Court this afternoon.
He will next appear at the Crown Court via video link on 7 June.
The defendant was flanked by three security guards in the glass-fronted dock.
Police said yesterday that the remains of Ms Blamires were found on Tuesday afternoon in water just a few yards from where the busy Otley Road crosses the River Aire in Shipley.
Ms Blamires was last seen on Friday, while Ms Armitage, 31, has been missing since Monday, 26 April, and Ms Rushworth, 43, disappeared on 22 June last year.
Mr Griffiths, a psychology graduate undertaking postgraduate research in criminology at Bradford University, was arrested on Monday at his home on the edge of Bradford's red-light district.
He lived in a third-floor flat in Thornton Road, just a short distance from Bradford city centre.
Last night police were continuing to search the flats complex and an area around it was sealed off.
He had lived in the flats for about 13 years.
