Abnormally Thin Skull Saves Defendant

A man who was charged with murder after killing a man with one punch avoided trial due to medical evidence finding abnormalities with the victim's skull.

At 3pm on 25th October 1938 a stonemason named Albert Shaw noticed three young males loitering around the back of an empty house in Jervis Street (which was situated off Russell Street). 

Shaw reported the suspicious behaviour to the police in nearby Warren Street and the males were moved on. Shaw returned to work ten minutes later but soon afterwards they returned and an argument broke out. One of the males, eighteen year old William Nicholls, punched 53 year old Shaw leading to him falling back and striking his head on some steps.

Nicholls tried to escape by climbing a wall into Back Gill Street, but he was followed by a police officer who apprehended him. An unconscious Shaw was taken to the Royal Infirmary where he died later that evening, his skull having been fractured. On being charged with murder Nicholls replied 'He struck me and I hit him in self defence.'

On 10th November Nicholls appeared at the Magistrates' Court for a committal hearing. Medical evidence was heard that Shaw had an abnormally thin skull. Given this the magistrate decided there was not enough evidence to justify any charges. Nicholls was released from the dock and was free to return to his home in Leander Street, off Brownlow Hill.

Baby Dies After Being Belted By Father

In the 1930s a six month baby died after being struck with a belt by his father, who was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

On 8th March 1938 Charles Church, a 22 year old unemployed machinist who lived at Clevedon Street in Dingle, was left alone with his six month old son Harold while his wife May went out on some errands. When she returned after being out for about an hour and a half, her husband was crying and leaning over the cot, where Harold was lying dead. Charles said nothing and instead went out to buy some cigarettes, returned home to smoke them, then left without saying where he was going. 

Charles surrendered himself to the police and made a statement saying that his son would not stop crying even when he tried to pacify him. He said that after throwing Harold into the cot he then smacked him with his hand and belt, picked up a pillow and threw it over Harold's face, causing him to go quiet. Harold showed the officer his belt, which had a brass buckle, and admitted he had struck the baby with it. He then asked Detective Constable Joseph Ferrard if his wife had said anything. 

A post mortem revealed that Harold had died from shock brought on by the bruising, leading to Charles being charged with murder and being committed for trial at the following month's Liverpool Assizes. May however declined to give evidence meaning that on 6th April Charles's offer of pleading guilty to manslaughter was accepted by the prosecution. He was then sentenced to seven years penal servitude by Mr Justice Atkinson.

Indian Sailor Hanged After Stabbing Friend

In 1938 an Indian sailor, was hanged after bludgeoning his friend to death in a ship that was berthed in Liverpool's docks.

30 year old Jan Mohamed and Animul Hag had been friends for a number of years but fell out during a voyage in the spring of 1938, leading to Hag attacking Mohamed with an iron bar and knocking some of his teeth out. They were separated and Mohamed, who had a previous exemplary record, was given lodgings in Great George Square whilst he awaited a transfer to another ship.

Hag was kept on board the SS Kabinga (below) at Gladstone Dock and it was here that the terrible murder happened. At 2pm on 11th April Mohamed was seen sliding down a rope and running away from the Kabinga and he was stopped by a policeman ten minutes later who noticed that he was bleeding from the mouth. Mohamed said 'Trouble in ship man hurt' and was taken back to the vessel, where the body of 20 year old Hag was found lying on the engine room steps. Mohamed told the officer he was acting in self defence and picked up the nearest weapon he could find, which was an iron file.

At his trial which began less than three weeks later at Manchester Assizes Mohamed pleaded self defence, but medical evidence showed that the blows to Hag had come from behind. This implied premeditation and that he had struck first after laying in wait. Mohamed was found guilty although there was a strong recommendation for mercy by the jury. Mohamed was unmoved as the sentence was translated into Hindustani for him and replied 'I did not intentionally kill him'.

After the execution date was set for 17th May a last minute appeal was lodged but this was unsuccessful.

Mohamed was hanged at Walton Gaol on 8th June, having spent his final days playing draughts and dominoes against the warders, games in which he was rarely beaten. A crowd of 100 were outside the prison awaiting the posting of the execution notice, including two of his countrymen. The Kabinga sank in 1943 after colliding with another vessel in fog.