Barry Prudom

After commencing duty at 06:00 on 17 June 1982, PC David Haigh, aged 29, was attempting to serve a summons on a poacher in the Washburn Valley near Harrogate, North Yorkshire. When Haigh failed to respond to a radio call from his station at Harrogate, PC Mick Clipston was sent to check on his whereabouts, and discovered his patrol car at a picnic site at Norwood Edge near Beckwithshaw. The door of the car was still open and PC Haigh's body was next to it, having been killed by a single .22 Long Rifle calibre pistol shot to the head. Haigh's clipboard was found, on which he had written "Clive Jones, born 18/10/44, Leeds NFA" followed by a vehicle registration number, KYF 326P. Having cleared the poacher and a Leeds man called Clive Jones of involvement, police launched a murder investigation, headed by North Yorkshire Police's Assistant Chief Constable, David Burke.

Oi! band Combat 84 wrote a song titled "Barry Prudom", which was released on 24 September 1983 as the B-side of their Rapist EP, featuring the lyrics: "Barry Prudom, Barry Prudom, He's coming for you with his gun, Barry Prudom, Barry Prudom, He's Public Enemy number one".

The registration number recorded by Haigh belonged to a metallic green Citroën, which police ascertained had been the subject of a cash sale to an unknown man at Kingsbury, London in January 1982, and a witness came forward to say that he had seen the car parked at the murder location at approximately 06:35 on 17 June.

Prudom subsequently established himself as a grocer, and purchased a shop for his wife on Quarry Street, Leeds, but by 1977 he was working for the petroleum industry in Saudi Arabia to earn more money. While he was there his wife left him for another man. Police later disclosed that "While he was [in Saudi Arabia] his wife formed a liaison with another man and he got a 'Dear John' letter, which must have had a traumatic effect on him. From being a very stable hard working man, he became morose and irritable, and he was even more annoyed when he returned to England and found his wife had taken £8000 from the bank account". Between 1977 and 1982 Prudom dated Carol Francis and the two travelled extensively as he took work on oil rigs in Canada and the USA. In January 1982 while Prudom was in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, he was arrested for a violent assault on a motorist with an iron bar, and used his alias of Barry Edwards. After failing to attend Leeds Crown Court to answer bail, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Francis had by now left Prudom and moved out of the house in Leeds where they had been living.

In 1969 Prudom enlisted with Leeds-based B Squadron, 23 Special Air Service (V), part of the Army's part-time volunteer Territorial force. The unit specialised in covert surveillance, reconnaissance and "stay-behind" operations. Prudom was eventually rejected by the unit as he was considered temperamentally unsuitable and disliked discipline. It is unknown which stage he had reached in the selection phase, which for the Territorials is spread over a longer period, although he did participate in training manoeuvres with the unit. An official statement revealed only that he had "failed the final initiative test".

Prudom was the illegitimate son of Kathleen Edwards, a Leeds dressmaker, and Peter Kurylo, a soldier serving with the British Army. Kurylo played no part in Prudom's upbringing and the two never met. The family home was at 39 Grosvenor Place, Leeds, and Prudom attended Blenheim Primary school and Meanwood Secondary School. Although born Barry Edwards, his name was changed to Barry Prudom in 1949 when his mother married Alex Prudom. He was briefly sent to an approved school in Aycliffe Village, County Durham for housebreaking. After leaving school, Prudom commenced an apprenticeship and trained as an electrician. In October 1965 he married Gillian Wilson, who was then aged 19 years. There were two children from the marriage, a daughter born in 1966, and a son in 1970. Prudom's mother died in a drowning accident while on holiday in 1973.

Barry Peter Prudom (18 October 1944 – 4 July 1982) was an English electrician and multiple murderer, known as The Phantom in the Forest, who became the subject of a police manhunt and what was at the time the largest armed police operation Great Britain had ever seen, involving 12 police forces. Prudom became a fugitive after killing PC David Haigh on 17 June 1982. Before being captured he killed twice more, shooting civilian George Luckett on 23 June 1982 and Police Sergeant David Winter on 28 June 1982.

Eddie McGee (c.1938–2002), nicknamed "Jungle Eddie" by colleagues, was a former Physical Training Instructor from the Parachute Regiment and had served as an NCO in 22 Special Air Service Regiment. Having completed 22 years of service, McGee had retired from the Army and now operated the National School of Survival, a survival training school near Harrogate. He had authored five books on the subject, and No Need To Die was considered a "bible" for enthusiasts of personal survival studies. His tracking skills had been learned while living among Australia's indigenous aboriginal people and pygmy groups in Africa. He was married with two sons, both of whom were serving police officers in Yorkshire. Chief Constable Henshaw said of the development "Now we have somebody looking for him with even more skill in the art of evasion and survival than Barry Edwards has. I am confident we are going to find him".