Peter William Sutcliffe was born on June 2, 1946, in Bingley, West Riding of Yorkshire. He came from a working-class family. His father, John William Sutcliffe, was a heavy drinker, and his mother, Kathleen Frances Coonan, was of Irish descent. Kathleen was a Roman Catholic, and John was part of the local Anglican church's choir. The family lived under Kathleen's faith, and Peter even served briefly as an altar boy.

Peter was born premature and spent two weeks in the hospital after his birth. His mother faced considerable emotional stress during her pregnancy due to domestic abuse from his father. John Sutcliffe was known to be abusive toward his wife and was often harsh with his children as well. He would hit them with a belt for punishment. John had a poor temper and would call Peter names like "wimp" and "mummy's boy." In contrast, his mother was very protective and doted on him, which made Peter view her as "perfect."

At the age of four, Peter started attending St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, where he experienced severe bullying. This bullying had a lasting impact on him. In 1970, a troubling incident occurred when John Sutcliffe staged a scenario to expose Kathleen's alleged infidelity, forcing Peter and two of his siblings to witness it.

Peter became more withdrawn and developed an interest in voyeurism. He would often spy on prostitutes and the men who solicited their services. After leaving school at 15, he took various low-paying jobs, including working as a gravedigger at Bingley Cemetery. Many of his coworkers noted his strange sense of humor and his eagerness to work overtime washing corpses.

From 1971 to 1973, he worked at the Baird Television factory and later took a job as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver. However, he was dismissed in 1976 for stealing used tires. He then spent time unemployed until he found work again as an HGV driver in late 1976.

On Valentine's Day in 1967, Peter met Sonia Szurma at a pub in Bradford's red-light district. They married in August 1974. Sonia faced her struggles, including mental health issues and multiple miscarriages. Their relationship was often described as turbulent, with Sonia exhibiting intense emotions and Peter sometimes needing to restrain her.

In September 1977, after Sonia completed her teacher training, they bought a house together in Heaton, Bradford, where they lived until Peter's arrest in 1981.

Peter Sutcliffe's murderous activities began in 1969 with his first documented assault on a female prostitute. He attacked her while searching for another woman who had previously taken money from him. This incident went unpunished as the victim did not want to press charges.

His violent crimes escalated, with the second known assault occurring on July 5, 1975. Sutcliffe struck Anna Rogulskyj, a 36-year-old woman, with a hammer, leaving her unconscious. He later attacked 46-year-old Olive Smelt on August 15, using similar methods. He hit her with a hammer and then slashed her back. Both women survived but were left deeply traumatized.

The first murder attributed to Sutcliffe was that of Wilma Mary McCann on October 30, 1975. He struck her with a hammer and then stabbed her multiple times, resulting in a gruesome death. This pattern continued in 1976 when he murdered Emily Jackson by stabbing her 52 times after incapacitating her with a hammer.

Over the next few years, Sutcliffe killed several women, many of whom were sex workers. Notable victims included Patricia Atkinson, Jean Jordan, and Jayne MacDonald. The murders often involved extreme violence, including stabbing and mutilation.

During 1979, he killed Josephine Whitaker, further demonstrating his brutality. He struck her head with a hammer and stabbed her multiple times. Despite the rising number of attacks and murders, police struggled to catch him, partly due to misinformation and false leads that diverted their attention.

Eventually, Sutcliffe was arrested on January 2, 1981, after being stopped by police for driving with false number plates. Upon questioning, he confessed to being the Yorkshire Ripper, claiming that he was on a mission from God to kill prostitutes.

His trial began in May 1981. He pleaded not guilty to murder, attempting to argue that he was not responsible due to his mental state. However, he was convicted of 13 murders and 7 attempted murders. He received a life sentence, which was later converted to a whole life order. Sutcliffe spent the remainder of his life in prison and died on November 13, 2020.