12 January 2016
Death in custody at Maghaberry
Black died aged 68 at Maghaberry high-security prison in Northern Ireland while serving multiple life sentences.
- State of the evidence
- Documented
Sources · 1
- [1]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
Born in United Kingdom · Nationality British — Crime / mafias / terrorism / criminal cases
Robert Black
Documented profile covering 12 controversies, including “Death in custody at Maghaberry” and “Appeal against Cardy conviction dismissed”.
Profile No. 2415 · Updated on 13 October 2026
12Documented controversies
6Sources
4 followed by a conviction
§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology
I. Documented controversies
Case · 4 documented stages
Death in custody at Maghaberry
Conviction
Conviction
27 June 2013
Appeal against Cardy conviction dismissed
The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland rejected Black's grounds of appeal against his conviction, including those concerning the admission of bad character evidence and similarities with his earlier crimes.
Sources · 1
- [1]Court of Appeal in Northern IrelandThe Queen v Robert Black [2013] NICA 35Court decisionVery high reliability
Last verified: 15 September 2026
27 October 2011
Conviction for abduction and murder of Jennifer Cardy
A jury in Northern Ireland found Black guilty of abducting and killing Jennifer Cardy, aged 9, in August 1981, thirty years earlier.
- State of the evidence
- Established by a court
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 2
- [1]
- [2]Court of Appeal in Northern IrelandThe Queen v Robert Black [2013] NICA 35Court decisionVery high reliability
Last verified: 15 September 2026
8 December 2011
25-year minimum term imposed in Jennifer Cardy case
For Jennifer Cardy's murder, the court set a minimum term of 25 years before any possibility of release under that sentence.
- State of the evidence
- Documented
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 2
- [1]The GuardianChild killer Robert Black sentenced to 25 years for murder of Jennifer CardyPressHigh reliability
- [2]Court of Appeal in Northern IrelandThe Queen v Robert Black [2013] NICA 35Court decisionVery high reliability
Last verified: 15 September 2026
années 1990–2008
Prime suspect in Genette Tate disappearance but no prosecution
Black was long considered the prime suspect in the 1978 disappearance of Genette Tate, aged 13, particularly because of his professional travels and similarities with his known crimes.
- State of the evidence
- Documented
Sources · 2
- [1]The GuardianChild killer Robert Black sentenced to 25 years for murder of Jennifer CardyPressHigh reliability
- [2]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
1994–années 2000
Review of numerous unsolved murders and disappearances following 1994 convictions
Following the 1994 verdict, several police forces reviewed a dozen or more murders and disappearances of young girls to determine whether they could be linked to Black.
- State of the evidence
- Documented
Sources · 1
- [1]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
Case · 4 documented stages
Triple conviction for Maxwell, Hogg and Harper murders
Conviction19 May 1994
Triple conviction for Maxwell, Hogg and Harper murders
At Newcastle Crown Court, Black was found guilty of abducting and murdering Susan Maxwell, Caroline Hogg and Sarah Harper, as well as related offences. The judge imposed multiple life sentences and recommended at least 35 years for the murders.
- State of the evidence
- Established by a court
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 1
- [1]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
March 1986
Murder of Sarah Harper
Sarah Harper, aged 10, was abducted near her home in Morley before being killed and abandoned far from the abduction site. Black was convicted in 1994.
- State of the evidence
- Established by a court
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 2
- [1]
- [2]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
July 1983
Murder of Caroline Hogg
Caroline Hogg, aged 5, disappeared near her Edinburgh home and was subsequently found dead in England. Black was convicted of her abduction and murder.
- State of the evidence
- Established by a court
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 2
- [1]
- [2]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
30 July 1982
Murder of Susan Maxwell
Black abducted Susan Maxwell, aged 11, near the Anglo-Scottish border and killed her; her body was found several days later hundreds of kilometres away.
- State of the evidence
- Established by a court
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 2
- [1]
- [2]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
années 1960–avant 1990
Previous sexual offences against young girls
Before the murders for which he became known, Black had already been convicted of sexual offences involving very young girls. These previous offences were insufficiently considered in some early suspect lists.
- State of the evidence
- Established by a court
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 1
- [1]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
July–10 August 1990
Abduction and sexual assault of six-year-old girl: decisive arrest
Black was intercepted in Scotland with a six-year-old girl bound and gagged in the back of his vehicle. This arrest enabled investigators to connect his profile with other abductions. He pleaded guilty and received a life sentence.
- Attribution
- Personally implicated
Sources · 2
- [1]
- [2]
Last verified: 15 September 2026
II. Constellation of documented links
No documented link with another published profile for now.
Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.
III. Has something changed?
A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.
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