Anguished relatives of two missing prostitutes twice came face-to-face with their alleged murderer yesterday.

Members of the families and friends of Shelley Armitage, 31, and Susan Rushworth, 43, packed into Bradford Magistrates’ Court and later the city’s Crown Court to see Stephen Griffiths.

They were stunned and stared in horror at the dock at the magistrates’ court when Griffiths, 40, described himself as “The Crossbow Cannibal”.

Griffiths, of Holmfield Court, Thornton Road, Bradford, was making his first appearance in court after being charged on Thursday afternoon with the murders of Miss Armitage, Miss Rushworth and 36-year-old Suzanne Blamires.

He was brought into the secure dock of Court Three at the magistrates’ court shortly after 10am by two security officers.

The courtroom was packed with journalists, senior detectives, police family liaison officers and eight friends and relatives of Miss Armitage and Miss Rushworth.

Uniformed officers stood guard at the back of the court for the three-minute hearing.

Griffiths was brought up the stairs from the cells immediately after District Judge Susan Bouch took her place on the Bench.

Flanked by the two security officers, and wearing a black shirt and dark trousers, he stared vacantly around him.

There was a stunned silence as the clerk asked Griffiths to give his full name to the court. He scratched his head and replied: “Erm, The Crossbow Cannibal.” Members of his victims’ families went pale and began to weep in the public gallery.

He was then asked for his address and responded: “Here, I guess.”

Griffiths then confirmed his date of birth, December 24, 1969.

The three charges were then read out. They were the murder of Suzanne Blamires between May 21 and May 25 this year; the murder of Susan Rushworth between June 22, 2009 and May 25 this year; and the murder of Shelley Armitage between April 25 and May 25 this year. The case was sent to Bradford Crown Court, under Section 51 of the Criminal and Disorder Act, where he appeared in the afternoon.

Asked there if he was Stephen Shaun Griffiths, he replied: “I am.”

He was flanked by four security officers and gazed down and clasped his hands in front of him during the five-minute hearing.

Prosecutor Clare Stevens applied for Griffiths to be remanded in custody and asked for the preliminary hearing to be adjourned.

Ian Howard, representing Griffiths, said he did not oppose the remand and there was no application for bail.

Judge James Goss QC adjourned the case until June 7. He agreed that Griffiths could appear via TV link from prison on that date and remanded him in custody.