Series 1 - The Gay Slayer

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Early one evening in 1993, loner and life-long under-achiever Colin Ireland declared a startling New Year's resolution to a shocked newspaper journalist. He was going to become a serial killer.

Over the next six months, Ireland was as good as his word and went on to lure five gay men to their deaths. As the media whipped up a frenzy of fear proclaiming that a "Gay Slayer" was loose on the streets of London, Ireland continued to taunt those detectives trying to catch him.

Eventually though, Ireland found himself backed into a corner as police closed the net around him. What followed was captured in a mesmerising open and honest video recording of Colin Ireland confessing to all five murders.

As Colin went about fulfilling his twisted New Year resolution, was he merely seeking infamy and recognition or was there a far darker, more compelling cause for these vicious killings? Was Colin Ireland born to kill?

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Comments (30)

  • Tea75

    3 months ago

    Tea75

    Why play BACKGROUND music over a poor sound quality video clip? It is hard enough to hear as it is so what benefit is the music??

  • Maria

    4 months ago

    Maria

    HEARTILY SICK of watching the adverts on here only for the TV programmes not to work. It has always been like this channel 5 and after years they still haven't got their technology up to date, as other online TV sites. BOYCOTTING you now and I suggest your advertisers go elsewhere, somewhere where the viewers don't feel conned into watching the same ad over and over again as they try, in vain, to watch a channel 5 TV show.

  • Ris

    6 months ago

    Ris

    Programme keeps freezing...sort it out Channel 5!

  • papa

    8 months ago

    papa

    @Ron - you sound a bit pedantic about the title seeing as you misunderstood it. I got the impression from the title that he killed gay people. What would you think a beef farmer was then? A farmer made out of beef or someone that farmed beef...hmmm - cmon now

  • yvonne

    8 months ago

    yvonne

    yet again stop/start stop/start 80 mins to watch a 45 min programme. and yes my laptop is top of the range and i only have problems with demand 5. pull you're finger out!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Miranda

    8 months ago

    Miranda

    I don't experience any problems with other catch up services online - only Demand5. Sick and tired of it to be honest. Other television channels have successfully created an online service, might I suggest that Channel 5 do some god forsaken research and get their act together! I think I've just about given up trying to use this site, it is much more hassle than it's worth. I think I'll refrain from watching Channel 5 programs on television as well. Channel 5 are not all what they've cracked up to be. People who use this service use it for a reason - they have busy lives and want to enjoy programs in their own time. This is not enjoyment, and it certainly isn't convenient. Good bye.

  • Charlie

    9 months ago

    Charlie

    I don't understand why the programme is still freezing and having other problems when there have been several people report it? I watch programme on BCC iplayer, 4od and ITV player all the time and have NO problem with watching them, yet I have been using 5 on demand to watch this series and have nothing but problems. I have missed important bits of this programme because it has but into advert breaks, and then it froze on the last 15 minutes and would not restart for me to finish watching it. If you cannot provide this service correctly, then don't provide it! Think it's time you sorted this problem out 5 on demand, more than enough people have reported it.

  • Charlie

    9 months ago

    Charlie

    I don't understand why the programme is still freezing and having other problems when there have been several people report it? I watch programme on BCC iplayer, 4od and ITV player all the time and have NO problem with watching them, yet I have been using 5 on demand to watch this series and have nothing but problems. I have missed important bits of this programme because it has but into advert breaks, and then it froze on the last 15 minutes and would not restart for me to finish watching it. If you cannot provide this service correctly, then don't provide it! Think it's time you sorted this problem out 5 on demand, more than enough people have reported it.

  • No advert watcher

    9 months ago

    No advert watcher

    Your adverts are no match for me and my ad blocking software! ha haaa!! I win!!! :) ^(*)^

  • julie booth

    9 months ago

    julie booth

    demand 5 is the worse site to watch somthing if you have forgot to record it allows you to watch first half of a program then cuts off and thats if you lucky to get the first half to play and i know its not any fault my end ive got the top of the range smart tv and bt internet

  • dan

    9 months ago

    dan

    keeps freezing

  • Louise

    9 months ago

    Louise

    Impossible to watch keeps freezing. Have given up now watching bbc2 on their catch up.

  • marcus Gardner

    9 months ago

    marcus Gardner

    A 45 min prog has so far taken 1 hr 35 mins due to the prog freezing.......... channel 5? if you offer the prog in good working condition then withdraw it. mind im unsure as to why im typing this as i doubt channel 5 will be reading this. By the way what is a 'gay community'? Im gay, have gay friends go to gay pubs and straight pubs, so where is this community?!! there is no such thing!

  • me

    9 months ago

    me

    Each video I play on your website, they don't even work! For a networdt that gots laughed at-which is slowly getting better, has confirmed peoples perception!

  • megan

    9 months ago

    megan

    demand 5 - swear your videos are getting worse everytime. This has gotten stuck 4 times now before even the first block of adverts. Don't understand how this service can be so crap in comparison to iplayer and 4od?! can't even comment on the docmentary because I can't even watch it!

  • Joe Xuereb

    9 months ago

    Joe Xuereb

    As a gay man (and one who knew one of the victims) I have to say that in the gay Community - and indeed in any Community - some things like fetishism and S&M are glorified and seen as just a bit of fun/being free/being free to do whatever 'because it is my body'. Mild fetishes and certainly extreme fetishes need to be seen for what they are, dehumanising. Practising them as innocent clean fun, and justified as such, and one could end up paying with one's life. This is the first time I have watched a Channel 5 Program on my laptop. I too am having problems watching the last twenty minutes of the documentary. The choice of title 'the gay slayer' is misleading and sensationalist. Of course we know that this sexual psychopath is a slayer of gays. But the bigoted with CHOOSE to read it as The Slayer who is gay to feed their bigotry. We do not need cheap sensationalsm thank you very much.

  • freddie

    9 months ago

    freddie

    just got through all the adverts the watched the first half, got through all the adverts again for it to then jam. bloody nice one demand cheers

  • Emma

    9 months ago

    Emma

    This is the sixth time i have tried to watch something on demand 5 and everytime there is something wrong with the video! I usually watch on the xbox but it kept jumping scenes or fastforwarding itself so decided to try and watch it on the laptop instead and it jumped ahead twice, jumped back twice and has now completly frozen 10 mins from the end! This is nothing to do with my internet connection as 4OD and BBC iplayer both work fine and I have known other people that are having the same problems with your app on the xbox. This problem is now becoming a pain, GET IT FIXED!! I am getting sick and tired of not being able to watch your programming. Thank you

  • Caroline Goudercourt

    9 months ago

    Caroline Goudercourt

    Why do americans have to be in almost every single documentary on our tv these days, even when it comes to british history there is one there! Enjoyed the documentary none the less

  • mark

    9 months ago

    mark

    you wouldnt say that a demon slayer was a demon or buffy the vampire slayer was a vampire so gay slayer is a perfectly acceptable name.

  • CharliePhillips

    9 months ago

    CharliePhillips

    Should be 'privity' NOT 'putivity'. First one is mutual interest. Whether it is 'putrid' is matter of opinion.

  • Jockohomo

    9 months ago

    Jockohomo

    a deeply depressing docu about a self hating homosexual. where is his grave? I want to dance on it...

  • Paul trogg

    9 months ago

    Paul trogg

    poor bloke.

  • CharliePhillips

    9 months ago

    CharliePhillips

    Saw an ITV Real Crime documentary on events, but this psychological analysis will hopefully shed new light on his horrific crimes and give another dimension to this tragedy.

  • rick

    9 months ago

    rick

    I do not believe that colin Ireland was gay himself ,, he was dubbed the "gay slayer " at the time. but mayb this is not in fact a true discription of him ?

  • Greg

    9 months ago

    Greg

    Ron that is what he was dubbed by the media at the time, as Molly rightly says. So rightly or wrongly, the programme was called that to describe him and his horrific crimes. I hope you enjoy the show and find it informative. Best Greg

  • Molly

    9 months ago

    Molly

    Ron, it's not Channel 5 who made that name up, that is what he was known widely in the media, I agree they shouldn't have called him that for the reasons you stated but it's not Channel 5's fault really.

  • Ron

    9 months ago

    Ron

    I can't believe the misjudgement of Channel 5 (or the programme makers) in giving this the title "The Gay Slayer". This implies he is a gay killer rather than a killer of gay people: it's like calling racist murderers "Black Killers". The title is used sensationalist, trying to draw in an audience by suggesting a link between gayness and and urge to kill. From a brief clip, there is the suggestion that the man killed because he could not face his own sexual anxieties. This means he's homophobic, not gay. Get it right, Channel Five.

  • Malandra Wheelley

    9 months ago

    Malandra Wheelley

    I agree with Carlene. Life is precious and those who kill dont deserve to live a life with other human beings. Gays or the colour of ones skin .. so what? we are all human beings with the same colour blood running through our veins. These people who go around murdering gays, children or anyone should be locked up for good with the key thrown away

  • Carlene

    9 months ago

    Carlene

    What a sick man! I have 2 gay bestfiends and they are most amazing and genuine people. Find it sick how people can be against another persons sexuality they are humans just like us, noone can be a judge of anyone. The man that killed 5 gay people is a nasty piece of work who is no much better than to be shoved to the back of a cell!

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