Did Billy Hughes suffer Stockholm Syndrome?
Psychologists argue that hostages and victims of abuse often suffer Stockholm syndrome, which is a psychological response to trauma and the difficulty they face in the scene of the crimes. The condition develops over time- which varies from days to years- after the victims of abuse or hostages try to bond with their abusers or captors. The victims may begin to have weird feelings towards the police officers and other authorities. In the Pottery Cottage Murders, the main character in the crime scene has some characters that suggest that he could be suffering from Stockholm syndrome. The violent Hughes stubs the police officers, and escapes to the Pottery Cottage where he commits massive murders as he holds the Morans family hostage. The essay will explain whether Bill Hughes suffered from Stockholm syndrome based on his actions in the crime scene.
Billy Hughes, a criminal, who is being transferred to Chesterfield, a Magistrates court from Leicester Prison, is charged with knifepoint rape to his girlfriend, and stubbing a man in the face. The criminal requests to use the washrooms, where he schemes to kill the police officers. He wounds, and stubs the two, and handcuffing them together in the minicab back, and he finds a free escape. Hughes drives a taxi after mercilessly dumping the police officers and the taxi driver. He crashes the car and moves towards the north, where he takes a break for a jog. Hughes jogs for about three hours and then moves to the Pottery Cottage, which has been converted to a residence. In the Cottage, there live two families, the Morans and the Newmans. The family of the Morans consists of five, and each of them appears busy with their activities of daily living. Hughes chooses to focus on the Morans, and this is where he commits more crimes. He kills the four Morans and holds one of them (Gill Moran) as a hostage. Throughout the time when Hughes kills the Morans and does not share it with Gill. He uses schemed lies that leave her unsure of what is happening to her other family. However, she has witnessed her father tied up, and she is sure that her family members are put in separate rooms. Hughes kills the four victims separately, and at some point, he appears to be caring, for instance, when he tells Gil that he is going to check on her parents who are sleeping. It is until Gill sees her mother appear at the windscreen, that she realizes what is happening. It is a wonder how Hughes plots and executes the murder at the Pottery Cottage. The question lingering on the minds is why he would murder the Morans. Interestingly, Hughes does not choose to go to the Newmans family, who are also residents of the Pottery Cottage after his escape.