crime & punishment – Cottage Capers

On this day in history….28th January 1953

On this day in history: 28th January 1953 – Derek Bentley is executed at Wandsworth Prison for his part in the murder of PC Sidney Miles….

Bentley was 19-years-old when he was hanged; he allegedly had a mental age of 11, was illiterate and suffered with epilepsy – probably resulting from a broken nose he received as a young child….

On the 2nd of November 1952 he and his 16-year-old friend, Christopher Craig, set out to commit a burglary on a warehouse in Croydon belonging to confectionary company Parker and Barlow…. However, while the pair were on the roof of the building they were spotted by a young girl living in a nearby house, who informed her mother – and she subsequently called the police….

Bentley was armed, with a knife and knuckle duster…. Craig too had a knife but he also carried a .455 Eley revolver….

A patrol car arrived with a uniformed constable and detective constable Fairfax – who proceeded to climb a drainpipe to get to the roof of the warehouse…. The would-be burglars attempted to run for it – but Bentley was restrained by Fairfax…. Craig shot the policeman, wounding him in the shoulder…. Notably, Bentley made no attempt to escape, he remained with the injured Fairfax….

Other police officers arrived on the scene….some were armed…. Craig, trigger-happy, was shooting haphazardly at any moving target…. It was as PC Sidney Miles reached the rooftop that the fatal shot was fired, hitting the constable in the head – he died instantly….

Craig, who had now run out of bullets, ran and threw himself off the roof of the building, landing some 30 feet below on a greenhouse – he broke his back….

Both Craig and Bentley were charged with murder…. At some point in all the shooting Bentley had supposedly uttered those fateful words “Let him have it Chris”…. Did he mean a bullet? Or was he in fact urging Craig to hand over the gun?

The controversial trial began on Thursday the 9th of December 1952, both Craig and Bentley pleaded ‘not guilty’…. It took the jury just 75 minutes to return a verdict of ‘guilty’ – but made the recommendation to mercy in the case of Bentley…. However, Judge Lord Goddard did not include this in his report to the Home Office…. Bentley was condemned to hang….

Due to his age Craig was spared the death penalty – instead he was ordered to be detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure…. He was released in 1963 after serving ten years….

Considering his mental age should Bentley have been sentenced as such? Yes, he had set out to commit a burglary and he was armed – but he was not the one who fired the gun….

An appeal hearing was held on the 13th of January – but the sentence was upheld…. A campaign was led by Bentley’s father – over 200 MPs signed a petition for a reprieve to be granted….

The night before the execution date crowds protested outside Parliament chanting “Bentley must not die”…. On the morning of the execution a large crowd gathered outside Wandsworth Prison, some sang the hymn ‘Abide With Me’…. Boos were heard when the notice it had been done was brought out….

Bentley’s sister, Iris, continued to campaign…. finally, in 1993, Home Secretary Micheal Howard, granted a partial pardon – saying Bentley should never have been hanged…. Later new evidence came to light that three officers had lied under oath about Bentley saying “Let him have it Chris”…. In 1998 the Appeal Court quashed Bentley’s conviction…. Sadly Iris did not live long enough to see this day….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….14th December 1959

On this day in history : 14th December 1959 – The shortest murder trial in British legal history takes place at Winchester Assizes….the proceedings take just 30 seconds….

Brian Cawley pleaded and was found guilty of the murder of Rupert Poole Steed – he was later sentenced to life imprisonment….

Cawley, a 30-year-old council worker lived, along with his wife and three children, rent free in a house owned by Rupert Steed, in New Road, Basingstoke…. Steed, a 43-year-old retired grocer’s manager and batchelor, had befriended the family – helping them out financially and buying them presents….

However, Cawley started to drink and as a consequence lost his job…. His wife left him, taking the children with her…. One night Cawley returned home….and for no explicable reason beat Steed to death…. After pleading guilty – at his 30 second trial – he began his life sentence….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….13th September 1902

On this day in history : 13th September 1902 – Burglar Harry Jackson is the first man to be convicted in Britain using fingerprint evidence….

The 41-year-old labourer had broken into a property in Denmark Hill, London and had stolen a set of billiard balls…. The investigating officer noticed a set of fingerprints on the newly painted windowsill – and had called in the newly-formed Metropolitan Police Fingerprint Bureau…. On searching their files they came across Jackson’s prints – as he had recently served a prison term for another burglary…. He was arrested, tried at the Old Bailey and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment….

Whilst fingerprinting became recognised as a valuable forensic tool in the identification of criminals, there were those in the beginning who disapproved…. A letter to The Times, signed by ‘A Disgusted Magistrate’ said “Scotland Yard, once known as the World’s finest police organisation, will be the laughing stock of Europe if it insists on trying to trace criminals by odd ridges on their skins”….

Fingerprint livescan.Birmingham central custody suite. — Fingerprint livescan. Birmingham central custody suite – West Midlands Police – CC BY SA 2.0

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….19th August 1975

On this day in history : 19th August 1975 – Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, is vandalised by campaigners calling for the release of robber George Davis from prison….

34-year-old East London mini-cab driver, George Davis, had been jailed for 20 years for his part in an armed robbery in Ilford, Essex – a police officer had been shot and injured…. However, it was claimed Davis was a case of mistaken identity – he had not been involved in the pay-roll robbery…. Since his imprisonment in Albany Prison on the Isle of Wight a series of marches, petitions and fund-raising events had been organised…. Even a 7 hour roof top demonstration on St. Paul’s Cathedral had been held by his brother-in-laws, Jim and Colin Dean….

Campaigners had gained entrance to the Headingley ground, had dug holes on the cricket pitch and had poured oil over one end of the wicket…. They had painted slogans on the walls demanding Davis’s release…. The damage was discovered by head groundsman, George Cawthray – and the final match of the series between England and Australia had to be abandoned…. This meant a draw was declared and England did not have the chance of winning back the Ashes….

Police travelled from London to Leeds to investigate – and four people were brought to trial…. Three received suspended sentences whilst the fourth, Peter Chappell, was given an 18 month prison sentence….

Image credit : sarflondondunk via Flickr

Following the incident an internal inquiry was set up to look into the handling of the Davis case…. In conclusion Home Secretary Roy Jenkins expressed serious doubt as to Davis’s identification, which had been based on the evidence of two police officers…. In May 1976 Davis was released from prison….

However, in July 1978 Davis was jailed for 15 years after pleading guilty to taking part in a bank robbery…. He was freed in 1984 – but three years later was to receive a further 18 month sentence for attempting to steal mailbags….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….28th July 1865

On this day in history : 28th July 1865 – Scotland’s last public execution takes place…. A crowd of reportedly 100,000 watch as Dr Edward Pritchard is hanged for the murder of his wife and mother-in-law….

Pritchard, born on the 8th of December 1825 in Southsea, Hampshire was the son of a sea captain….and claimed to have studied at King’s College Hospital, London, graduating in 1846…. How much truth is in this is unclear – but he did manage to secure the position of assistant surgeon onboard HMS Victory – and went on to serve on various other ships, which enabled him to travel the world….

On returning to Portsmouth he met Mary-Jane Taylor, the daughter of a wealthy silk merchant from Edinburgh…. The couple were married in 1851 and went on to have five children….

Pritchard took a job in Yorkshire as a GP…. During this time he wrote several books on his travels whilst in the Navy…. He also wrote about ‘water cure’ – or hydrotherapy….and had numerous articles published in The Lancet…. In 1859 he moved his family to Glasgow – it seems with his reputation tarnished as it appears some kind of ‘incident’ had occurred….

On the 5th of May 1863 a fire broke out in the family home at 11, Berkeley Terrace, Glasgow…. It started in the room of 25-year-old servant Elizabeth McGrain…. Strangely she made no attempt to escape – which would suggest she was unconscious or perhaps even already dead…. No charges were ever brought but there were those who had their suspicions….

The family moved to a new address in Glasgow, 131 Sauchiehall Street….and in early 1865 Pritchard’s wife, Mary, became ill…. Pritchard, aided by his colleague Dr Paterson,treated her at home…. On the 10th of February 70-year-old Jane Taylor arrived to nurse her sick daughter – but on the 28th of February she herself was to unexpectedly die…. Just over three weeks later, on the 18th of March, 38-year-old Mary-Jane also passed away….

Paterson, his suspicions aroused, refused to sign the death certificates, although he did not go to the authorities…. Pritchard however, had no such qualms at signing…. The death certificates recorded that Jane had died from paralysis and apoplexy – and his wife from gastric fever…. Both were buried at Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh….

Although Paterson had not publicly reported his suspicions the authorities did however receive an anonymous letter…. The information in contained was enough to prompt an order for the bodies to be exhumed…. Both were found to contain the poisons tartanised antimony, aconite and opium…. It appears Pritchard had been poisoning the food of his wife and mother-in-law….

The trial of Dr Edward William Pritchard – wood engraving, 1865 – Credit : The Wellcome Collection CC-BY

Pritchard’s five day trial took place in Edinburgh in July and was presided over by Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Glencorse…. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang…. Following his conviction Pritchard wrote a confession but claimed innocence at the murder of Jane Taylor….

He described how he had been having an affair with servant Mary McLeod…. It had begun in the summer of 1863 and in 1864 she had become pregnant…. Pritchard helped ‘produce a miscarriage’…. He claimed his wife knew of the affair – but his mother-in-law had caught the pair together in his consulting room…. He also implicated that McLeod was an accomplice in the murder of his wife….

However, nine days before his execution date Pritchard made a further confession, exonerating McLeod saying he alone was responsible for both of the murders…. At 8am on the 26th of July at North Prison, Saltmarket, Glasgow – in front of a crowd of possibly 100,000 – Pritchard met his executioner….one Mr William Calcraft….