Jo Yeates murder: who is Chris Jefferies?

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

Jo Yeates’s landlord, Chris Jefferies, has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of the 25-year-old Bristol architect.

Jefferies, 65, taught at exclusive Clifton College’s School House, an historic all boy’s college, for more than 40 years.

He is well-known around Clifton and campaigns heavily for the local Liberal Democrats by posting leaflets through doors around the upmarket area.

Mr Jefferies also fronted the Canynge Road Campaign, which stopped the planned development of two houses on Clifton College’s sports ground in 2005.

Councillor Trevor Blythe, 63, who was supported by Mr Jefferies in the 2009 election for his Clifton Ward seat, said he was ”flabbergasted” that he had been arrested.

He said: ”The whole thing is tragic. We have to wait for the outcome of what the police find on Chris Jefferies.

”I only know him in as much as he is a Liberal Democrat member and a member of our ward committee. He is a very private person.

”We are all very shocked and flabbergasted about his arrest. All of the Liberal Democrat members in Clifton who knew him are quite shocked.

”It is something they never expected to happen.

Jo Yeates murder: who is Chris Jefferies?

”I think people in Clifton have been worried about their safety since Jo’s disappearance but I haven’t been approached. Clifton is a lovely, safe place.”

Mr Blythe, who has lived in Clifton for 23 years, added that he had been a councillor for one-and-a-half years and did not know Mr Jefferies personally.

Mark Moore, headteacher of Clifton College – where Mr Jefferies taught English – said the bachelor had taken early retirement in 2001.

He added: ”On behalf of everyone that lives in and around Clifton, my thoughts are with the family and friends of Jo Yeates.”

Former pupils today told how Mr Jefferies sported an out of control afro/ comb-over and ”constantly” made lewd sexual remarks as he clutched the hands of pupils in class.

One male student, who was taught GCSE English by the bachelor in the 1990s and did not wish to be named, said the teacher ”creeped out” both male and female students at the College.

Jo Yeates murder: who is Chris Jefferies?

A Chrysler Neon removed from the Clifton road

He said: ”He was a stickler for discipline and was very traditional. He used to get very angry and shout and throw books and pens across the room.

”We were convinced he was gay. He used to touch people’s hands and he’d say ”Oh you’re very sweaty. That means you’re sexually active. You’ve been sexually active recently”.

”You didn’t want him to come near you, he was very unkempt and had dirty fingernails. I think girls were more creeped out by him than boys, he was weird.

”He would over emphasise words and kept repeating them in an odd way. He would say things 10-15 times over.

”The things he taught us were really odd, he loved old English poetry. The way he talked, the way he walked and the way he acted. It was all very strange.

Jo Yeates murder: who is Chris Jefferies?

A Volvo S40 was removed from the Clifton address

”He was very flamboyant. We were convinced he was gay.

”When we told other teachers he was strange they would laugh and say ”Ah yes, Mr Jefferies, he’s a bit of a nutter, isn’t he.”

Another student, who also did not wish to be named, added: ”He was fascinated by making lewd sexual remarks.

”He used to make them constantly, it was really disturbing. The way he pronounced words and said his sentences was also weird.”

Do you know Chris Jefferies? Email news@swns.com

SWNS Reporter

Twitter: @swns

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Discussion

Philipmorris

A well known person around Clifton who in the 1980/90 used to dye his hair green/blue or orange real wierd, none to all especally Deakins House
Nobody

not guilty yet is he ? if he is guilty surely this sort of website with comments would just be disrespectful to the family of the victim.. what a pathetic website allowing such comments for a man not yet guilty.
Rob

this does not supprise me I was a pupil at the time he was there, this add to the list of teachers now arrested from that period.
kk

Chris Jefferies used to teach me English and supervise my studies in 2000-2001. All this rubbish about him being obsessed with making sexual remarks and touching people’s hands is nonsense – he is certainly a very eccentric man, but I never saw him act inappropriately at any point and he was a great teacher to many, many people over the years. I have spoken to dozens of fellow students and none of us can believe that he is responsible for this murder, which tells you a lot.

I hope the police find the person responsible for this crime as soon as possible.

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Jo Yeates murder: who is Chris Jefferies?

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