Bradford accused 'in suicide attempt'

Stephen Griffiths, the man accused of murdering three women in Bradford, was reported to be found unconscious in his cell yesterday after an apparent suicide attempt. Griffiths, 40, who referred to himself as the "crossbow cannibal" in his first court appearance, was taken into the care wing of Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire, where he was being held on remand. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justicesaid: "A prisoner at HMP Wakefield received treatment in the prisoner care wing following an incident of self-harm." No details were given about the severity of the injuries. The Mirror said Griffiths was found unconscious on the floor of his cell yesterday after trying to suffocate himself . Griffiths, a criminology student from Bradford, is accused of murdering Suzanne Blamires, Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth, who all disappeared while working as prostitutes in Bradford. The former public schoolboy appeared at Bradford crown court via a videolink on Monday, where his legal team said it was going to consult experts to assess his "mental state". During the 29-minute hearing, Griffiths, spoke only to confirm his name and sat through the majority of the proceedings with his arms folded, leaning on a desk at Wakefield prison with his head bowed. Judge James Goss QC set a review hearing next month, and a provisional trial date for 16 November. Blamires was last seen on 21 May, Armitage has been missing since 26 April, and Rushworth disappeared on 22 June last year. Body parts belonging to Blamires were found in the River Aire in Shipley on 25 May, and tests confirmed that a small piece of human tissue later found in the water belonged to Armitage. Griffiths, a psychology graduate undertaking postgraduate research in criminology at Bradford University, was arrested on 24 May at his flat on the edge of Bradford's red-light district.