As he was imprisoned for more heinous deeds, victims’ families characterised a double killer who sexually abused the remains of at least 101 women and girls in hospital mortuaries as “sick and twisted”.
Already serving a whole-life term for the sexually motivated killings of Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in two separate incidents in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1987, David Fuller, 68,
Police discovered systemic sexual abuse of female bodies aged between nine and 100 in the now-closed Kent and Sussex Hospital and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, where he had worked in maintenance since 1989, following linking him to the deaths in 2020.
Examining Fuller’s computer hard drive from his Heathfield, East Sussex, house turned out 818,051 photographs and 504 videos of his torture along with proof of his “persistent interest in rape, abuse and murder of women.”
Between 2008 and November 2020, Fuller entered a guilty plea to the two killings and 44 offences involving 78 women.
After confessing to sexually abusing the bodies of 23 more women aged between 45 and 92, 10 of which have never been recognised, Wednesday he was sentenced to an additional four years in prison.
Between 2007 and 2020, they comprise four counts of possession of severe pornography and twelve offences of sexual intercourse with a corpse.
Relatives of some of the victims expressed their fury and sadness during the Old Bailey’s sentencing session.
Speaking in court of her “absolute disgust,” the daughter of a lady who was mistreated following her death called Fuller a “monster.”
She stated her mother refused to die in a hospital, and the family turned down a postmortem analysis as she had enough “prodding and poking” during her illness.
She added, upon learning of the mistreatment, “The pain and emotional upset seared through my body like a knife.”
“He seized advantage of her helplessness in death where we were unable to defend her.”
Approaching the defendant in the dock, she said, “David, I want you to know how much damage you have caused, how your sick and twisted behaviour has damaged families like mine.”
“I’m happy you are now owning what you did only seven hours after she passed away.”
One father expressed his inability to adequately describe how “disturbing” it was to discover what occurred to his daughter under Fuller’s care.
“He has caused total and utter devastation,” stated the brother of another victim.
“David Fuller has contaminated every recollection I have of my sister. All I can remember is what he did to my sister during her designated rest period.
In mitigating terms, Catherine Donnelly agreed that a “significant” number of victims had suffered great damage from Fuller’s crimes.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb ordered Fuller four extra years’ detention in a televised sentencing, but she also said, “You will remain in prison until your death.”
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