A notorious serial killer known as the “Devil’s Disciple” is preparing to request his release during a parole hearing after spending five decades behind bars. Patrick Mackay, now 72 years old, was imprisoned for the murders of two elderly women and a priest back in 1975. Additionally, he confessed to eight other killings, making him one of the UK’s longest-serving convicted murderers. His parole hearing is scheduled for March.
Mackay was convicted for the strangulation of 87-year-old Isabella Griffiths and 89-year-old Adele Price, as well as the brutal axe murder of Catholic priest Anthony Crean in Kent. Despite confessing to eight more murders initially, he later recanted those admissions, leaving those cases unresolved.
At the age of 23, Mackay was found guilty of the murders of Isabella and Adele in separate incidents in London. He was also convicted for the killing of Father Crean in Shorne. Following his arrest, it was revealed that Mackay, now going by the name David Groves, had a history of criminal activities that were considered during his trial. Despite being in open conditions since 2017, his request for parole was denied two years ago due to drug abuse and identified psychopathic traits.
Mackay claimed his first murder was a 17-year-old au pair in 1973, followed by other victims including a homeless man, a grandmother and her grandson, among others. Despite initially confessing to these crimes, he retracted his statements before the trial. The upcoming parole review for Patrick Mackay is slated for March 2026, with the focus being on evaluating the potential risk to public safety if he were to be released into the community.