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Malcolm Fairley | The Crimes of 'The Fox' and the Manhunt That Caged Him

Prash's Murder Map: True Crime Podcast

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In 1984, a serial burglar and rapist was at large in England, his crimes spanning several Home Counties as well as the northeast of the country. He was armed, masked and dangerous, and he had an unusual calling card – in every house he broke into, he built himself a blanket fort in the living room and made himself at home, watching television and drinking cups of tea. His habit of den-building and the way he slunk off into the countryside after his assaults soon led to him being given the nickname ‘The Fox’. People were fearful, and the police had a tough job on their hands as his attacks crossed multiple jurisdictions. They were learning more about him each time he struck, but they needed to catch him fast before his violence escalated. Who was The Fox, and how would they find him?

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20 Comments

@prashsmurdermap Creator 2 years ago (edited) Pinned

➡Update 29th May 2024
72 year old Malcolm Fairley A.K.A The Fox died at HMP Hull yesterday (Tuesday 28th May) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dde87035po

Note: Thank you to those of you who have correctly pointed out that Malcolm Fairley should not be referred to as a "Geordie", as he was from Sunderland, which makes him colloquially known as a "Mackem". This is a common error and derived from the Brampton victim stating on 18 August 1984 that they recognized his accent as being from "somewhere in the northeast" and erroneously referring to him as a Geordie. I quoted it from there without fully understanding the differences. Apologies for the inaccuracy.

@CovRealist 1 year ago

I was 10 years old when The Fox was floating around. I remember asking my Mum if he was going to come and get us. It’s hard to believe it was over 40 years ago.
Great video. 👍🏻

@judithsmith9853 2 months ago

We had recently moved to the area where The Fox was breaking into people's houses. Everyone was nervous. We slept with all our windows closed, even though it was summer and my husband searched the house when we had been out, before he would let us go in. I remember someone knocked a can off the shelf in the grocers shop and we all jumped. Which showed how nervous we all were.

@olivermeadows8343 2 years ago

Myself and my,mum lived in a lonely farm house, my Dad worked away and we spent the nights on the couch with a weapon. So scary

@maritzarodriguez6860 10 months ago

Horrible sick man!

@glennspencer 2 years ago

I’m from North Hertfordshire and would have been 14 at the time, I remember the Fox. Scary at the time

@therighthonsirdoug 9 months ago

I remember "The Fox" as the bogey man of my childhood growing up in the 1980s in rural Bedfordshire!

@jujulionesselsa1416 1 year ago

He was a horrible bstd

@bootsminor4364 1 year ago

As a true crime fan and having watched many YouTube videos I have to say I am so glad to find this channel and your well done videos. Your narration is refreshing to hear with all the terrible robotic voices so many channels have now. Well done.

@shelleybuckingham733 1 year ago

We lived not far from there. I remember our house did have a break in, cigarettes and money was stolen and myself and sisters were so worried that it was the fox.
Everyone was petrified during that time 😮.
Great video 👍

@annhale6164 1 year ago

I grew up in Leighton buzzard and went to school in Linslade so your video about this case interested me very much. I’d moved away by the time of the Fox but remember when it happened and reading about it in the newspapers. Glad to read that he’s now passed away.

@sirhowardkendall8336 11 months ago

I remember the fox, I was 9 years old and I was always scared he'd come and get me, my mum and my nan. I used to always look out of my bedroom window at night time to see if I could see him

@darrengrimmer8541 10 months ago

I was 13 at the time.. this case kept me a wake at night back then

@we_are_dust3813 1 year ago

I've never heard of this case...thank you for this!

@AnthonyDelroy8 2 years ago (edited)

I recently watched the channel 5 documentary about The Fox but after I had seen your video about it. Your video is ten times better because it includes more information about the forensics, his crimes, how they caught him and his backstory like what he was like as a child, how he used to go camping alone, who his family were and how he met his wives. Even what type of films he watched. the "SEXY ONES" I'm surprised channel 5 missed all this important info and didn't research it as well as you have. Great job! subscribed🤩

@jeannetteellis4926 1 year ago

lived in houghton regis when he was on the loose ..i remeber the police searching for him in the fields opposit our house

@michaelevans205 3 months ago

The use of genuine 1980s footage really added to the 'feel' of this production.
Weirdly I recall absolutely nothing about this major series of crimes even though I was in my mid-twenties at the time!
Excellent production 👏

@Gary-le7dz 3 months ago

Interesting fact it was said firearm offences were rare back then , infact there were 74 deaths from firearms in the uk 1984 , and in 2025 there were 32 , less than half .

@amycrowley2023 2 years ago

That's my old street. Well peck water.

@admiralcraddock464 2 months ago

Giving a man who shoots sleeping people and rapes women in their own homes the name The Fox was a disgrace; romanticising him when in fact he was a disgusting monster.