Murder accused was "uncontrollable child", court hears (From Worcester News)

Stephen Farrow, who is accused of murdering Betty Yates, "demonstrated many of the characteristics of a psychopath"

3:10pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News By Elizabeth Sweetman, @lizsweetmanWN #worcsnews

THE man accused of murdering Bewdley pensioner Betty Yates and a Gloucestershire vicar was an "uncontrollable child" who shot dead a swan with an air gun and killed other people's pets, a court heard today.

Dr Tim Rogers, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, told Bristol Crown Court that Stephen Farrow, aged 48, demonstrated many of the characteristics of a psychopath.

He agreed Farrow was a "very dark" person who also fantasised about bestiality, raping girls, and raping a pensioner in her home and then killing her husband.

Farrow's barrister Peter Gower QC told the jury Farrow's mother had "understood there to be something wrong with him as a child".

When he was 10 he had set fire to a church alter and stood and watched as it burned.

He was expelled on his first day of school, shot dead a male swan with an air gun and killed other peoples' pets when they "did his head in", the court heard.

As a child he had also experienced bullying, fighting, using weapons, setting fires and robbery.

Dr Rogers agreed it was not possible to be sure when Farrow was telling the truth and when he was lying.

But he said that after assessing Farrow on two separate occasions in recent months and reading compiled reports spanning several years, he passed the threshold of psychopathy.

The psychiatrist said there are 20 traits of a psychopath - when each is given a score of up to two, Farrow scored 31 out of 40.

Mr Gower told the jury that Farrow had been found to be 100% impulsive and irresponsible, 96% arrogant and deceitful and with an anti-social lifestyle scoring of 88%.

He was found to live a "parasitic" lifestyle having only worked for about 12 weeks over the last 15 years.

Farrow denies murdering 77-year-old Mrs Yates, a retired teacherat her cottage in January.

Farrow, of no fixed address, was again not present in court having refused to leave Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire where he is being held.

He also denies murdering Reverend John Suddards, 59, in Thornbury in February but admits his manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But he has pleaded guilty to a separate charge of a burglary of a cottage in Thornbury over the Christmas and new year period.