ANDREW Dawson is a convicted serial killer known for the shocking murders of John David Matthews and Paul Hancock. His crime spree, which began in 1981, will be examined in ITV’s Tracking a Serial Killer which airs on February 4, 2025. Dawson was born in 1962, in Ormskirk, Lancashire. Although not much is known about his early life, he claimed his first victim at the age of 19. In August 1981, he murdered 91-year-old shopkeeper, Henry Walsh in his hometown.

Dawson was jailed in 1982, for stabbing Henry eleven times, and was released in 1999. He was jailed three more times between 2003 and 2007, before being released in 2008. After leaving prison, Dawson was moved to a probation hostel before being transferred to supported accommodation. He eventually was allowed to live in a private residence, but his landlord, Artell Black, said Dawson was a problematic tenant.

According to Black, Dawson was a “risk to the community” and frequently aggravated other residents. Dawson was arrested and charged for shoving Artell in the chest but did not face a prison sentence because of the low level of the offence. On July 25, 2010, John David Matthews was found stabbed to death in his flat in Chaddesden, Derby. Paul Hancock was found dead in the same area, just five days later.

Both men were placed in their bathtubs by Dawson, in an attempt to conceal their bodies. Dawson was arrested on the same day that John’s body was found. When he was arrested, his apartment was searched which uncovered a letter written by the killer. The letter seemed to contain a confession and was signed “Yours, the Angel of Mercy". Detective Inspector Paul Callum said: "Dawson has shown no remorse for his actions and has simply sought to blame anyone he can for the direction his life has taken.

"These were cold, calculated and savage acts. He has shown a degree of thought and planning and sought to conceal and destroy evidence where he could. "He has stretched out this process unnecessarily for the families of those men that died for no reason and I would like to express my sympathies for the loss of their loved ones.". After a lengthy court trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order.

Dawson’s murders of John and Paul followed another series of shocking crimes that rocked the UK. Raoul Moat shot his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobartt on July 3, 2010, after fatally shooting her new partner, Chris Brown. Just a day later, Moat attacked a police officer named David Rathband after calling the police to announce his plan. Sadly, David was blinded by the attack and committed suicide two years later.

The string of horrific crimes led the police to mobilise 160 officers to find Moat, though the search ended when he took his own life on July 10. Moat’s terrible crimes took place just weeks before Dawson murdered John David Matthews. It is thought that Moat’s actions may have inspired Dawson’s horrifying murders. Dawson’s terrifying crime spree will be examined in Tracking a Serial Killer: True Crime Presents, which will air on ITV1.