Mans One Year For Killing Two Decades Earlier

A man who killed a woman in the heat of the moment in 1950 was not brought to justice until he confessed twenty one years later. Even then, he was jailed for just a year.

In the early hours of 26th September 1950 a woman was found unconscious with head wounds on some wasteland off Great Newton Street. Aged between 35 and 45, she was taken to the Royal Infirmary and treated for a fractured skull and broken jaw never regained full consciousness. However before slipping way she did manage to mumble 'Annie Howard' to a police officer that was by her bedside.

Officers believed that that the woman's handbag was missing and that she had been struck on the head by a blunt instrument. A search of the area found two bloodstained bricks nearby. Enquiries established that she had been seen that evening with a man whose identity couldn't be established and that he may have been foreign.

Twenty One years later, in July 1971, a man named William Collins went into a newspaper office in Manchester and confessed to the crime. When interviewed by police, he said that Annie had tried taking money from his pocket and he hit her with a half brick. He described the incident as taking place in a dark drunken moment and said he had been having nightmares about it ever since.

Collins, who was now 54 years old and lived at Mallowdale Close in Hulme, was charged with murder but at Liverpool Crown Court on 7th October that year the prosecution accepted his plea of guilty to manslaughter. He was then sentenced to one years imprisonment, Mr Justice Caulfield telling Collins that he believed he would be happier to serve punishment for his crime than continue with his guilty secret.

Sister killed Over Shirt.

A man killed his sister in Kensington after she refused him permission to pawn a shirt. 

On  the afternoon of Monday 27th February 1899 Jane Canning went on an errand and returned to her home in Houlton Street, Kensington. She found her seventeen year old daughter Ada lying on the landing, having been battered about the head. She was barely alive, her injuries being so bad that part of her brain protruded.

Jane's 25 year old son James, who just half and hour earlier had been quietly sat by the fire, was nowhere to be seen and the backdoor and gate were open.

James was located a few hours later in a nearby pub by his brother and admitted hitting Ada several times. The following morning Ada succumbed to her injuries, which included a fractured skull and James was arrested.

On being taken into custody James told officers 'I struck her on the head with a poker, you see what drink does for me. Thank God I did not use a knife, I did not mean to kill her. James had recently been discharged from the army for striking an officer and spent most of his time drinking, in between occasional labouring jobs.

James appeared at the police court on the afternoon of his arrest and was remanded in custody. At the coroner's inquest, a verdict of wilful murder was returned after the brother's evidence was heard. 

On 1st May James appeared before the assizes where the jury heard how he had tried to pawn a shirt on the fateful day, but Ada tried to stop him. His mother Jane broke down several times while testifying, saying that he normally adored Ada. The police officer who made the arrest said that James had told him he loved his sister.

In the closing speech, James' defence counsel pleaded that due to his drunkenness his state of mind was not as it should have been. In summing up though, the judge said that his drunken state was his own doing.  However, he also pointed out that there had been no previous quarrel and he did not appear to have intended to kill.

James was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter without the jury leaving their box. However the judge, Mr Justice Ridley, showed no leniency, referring to the circumstances of his army discharge as an indication of his character. He then imposed a sentence of fourteen years penal servitude.   

Parental Neglect at Woolton

A distressing case in 1895 saw a woman jailed for two months after being prosecuted when her baby daughter died in the workhouse.

On 13th September 1895 Inspector Cole of the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)  attended 25 Rodick Street in Woolton, the home of a middle aged widow named Mary Rawlinson. It was a distressing sight, with Mary sat behind a box in which her six month old daughter was lying. The poor infant was emaciated, wearing wet clothes and covered in vermin. Two other girls, nine year old Mary and seven year old Ann were naked and also had vermin swarming all over them. 

Inspector Cole pleaded with Mary to take her children into the workhouse in Whiston but she refused, saying she would rather die on the streets than go there. She did however agree to go the following day and baby Alice was immediately taken from her and examined by a doctor. She was found to be almost skin and bone, weighing only seven and a half pounds, as opposed to the expected twelve pounds and four ounces for a baby of her age. Her skin was also covered in bites and sores and she died ten days later.

Dr Hall from the workhouse refused to issue a burial certificate and referred the matter to the coroner. On 30th September an inquest was held at Whiston workhouse and three women all said they had nursed Alice while her mother worked as a laundress in Cressington. They denied neglecting her in any way and felt she was healthy. 

The doctor revealed that the postmortem had shown death was as a result of congestion on the brain and asked if this was down to neglect, he replied that it was his suspicion that it was. Mary denied any neglect, saying that she often went hungry herself to ensure her children were fed. She told how she used to receive three shillings a week relief from the guardians but this was withdrawn as Alice was illegitimate. 

The Coroner Samuel Brighouse expressed concern at the withdrawal of relief and asked Reverend Sylvester from the guardians to explain this. He insisted that it was only 'outdoor relief' that wasn't paid, and that Mary could be accommodated in the workhouse. Asked why this was, he said that paying money in the community would encourage women to have more illegitimate children. This received a rebuke from Brighouse, saying that the other children shouldn't be made to suffer as a reslt of this.

The jury returned a verdict of death by natural causes, saying they didn't believe Mary's actions had contributed to the death. However the NSPCC continued with the prosecution. On 4th October at the Woolton Sessions it was heard how Mary's husband had died a few years earlier and although she worked hard, she was also of drunken and dissolute habits. The prosecutor said that they were not seeking a manslaughter conviction, rather one for neglect of all three children, with that being a factor in Alice's death.

Evidence was heard from Dr Hall and a portress as to Alice's condition on being taken to the workhouse. They were of the opinion that she was improperly fed and that the bedding had been greatly neglected. After being found guilty the chair of the bench said it was some of the most harrowing evidence he ever heard. Saying he was sure neglect had accelerated death, he sentenced Mary to two months imprisonment with hard labour.  

The Dale Street Skeleton

In 1862 some workmen in Dale Street uncovered a skeleton, believed to be that of somebody who met a violent end some years earlier. 

On 17th September that year workmen were digging up newly vacant land, making it ready for the construction of  Municipal Building. They came across a skeleton and quickly summoned the police who placed the grisly find in a sack and took it to the detective office to await an order from the coroner.  

The land had previously been occupied by a number of what the Daily Post described as 'disreputable houses' and speculation was rife that the person had met their end by 'foul means'.

Estranged Husband's Death Sentence Reprieve

A man who was jealous of his estranged wife's lifestyle killed her by cutting her throat, but was reprieved from the death sentence.

George and Martha Sutherland married in 1925 but two years later were separated, leading to them both living in lodging houses; George in Wilton Street, Martha in Soho Street.  Martha was said to be making a living by 'immoral means', much to George's anger. Things came to a head on 22nd October 1927 George came across his estranged wife in a pub in Islington with a man named Rogers.

Later that night George went to Martha's lodgings to confront her, leading to her replying that she would go with who she likes and threatening to throw a plate at him. Martha went alone to a shop and George followed her, cutting her throat with a razor. He then told a passer by to fetch a policeman and was taken into custody without resistance. Martha was taken to the Royal Infirmary but pronounced dead on arrival. She was 25 years old, the same aged as George who worked as a fruit porter. She was buried alongside relatives in Toxteth Park Cemetery.

At the bridewell George realised the seriousness of his situation and said that Martha had tried to cut him, he took the razor off her and waved it as a deterrent, only to cut her. On being charged with murder he responded 'What I did, I did to save myself getting cut.'

George was tried by Justice Finlay at the Manchester assizes where a key witness was Professor McFall of the University of Liverpool. He was of the opinion that a cut on George's arm had occurred after he had slashed Martha's throat. George was found guilty of murder but with a strong recommendation for mercy. In passing sentence of death, the judge said he would forward this on to which George simply replied 'thank you.' George's sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Home Secretary.

Prison Killer Reprieved

A prisoner who killed a fellow inmate with an iron bar at Walton gaol in 1948 was sentenced to death but reprieved by the Home Secretary.

On Saturday 17th April 1948, John Bretherton, a thirty nine year old prisoner in Walton gaol died of a fractured skull. He had been hit over the head that day with an iron bar by another prisoner Frank Bond, who was twenty years old and a lorry driver from Blackpool. 

Bond was charged with the murder of Bretherton and for the committal hearing on 5th May, a special court was set up inside the prison with the press refused admittance. They were however allowed admittance to the assizes trial on 18th June.  Wearing a sports jacket and flannel trousers, Bond pleaded not guilty in a loud clear voice. 

The prosecutor Mr Gorman stood up and told the jury to disregard the fact that Bond was in prison. He outlined the background to the killing, stating that on 16th April Bond believed 1 shilling and 6d, his payment for prison work had been stolen from his coat pocket by Bretherton. After Bretherton denied it, a prison officer intervened and split the pair for the rest of the day.

Mr Gorman then said that the following day Bretherton was working in an engineers workshop when Bond approached him from behind and hit him with an iron bar, which he was holding with both hands. On being charged with murder, Bond was said to have replied 'He had it coming to him.' Mr Gorman submitted that it had been a cold premediated act with the intention of killing or grievously injuring Bretherton, who lived in Briardale Road in the Liverpool suburb of Mossley Hill.

Prison officer Robert Beattie described Bond as quiet and inoffensive, and acknowledged that although Bretherton had never caused any problems, he did have something of an attitude. He also said that he had seen Bretherton give Bond cigarettes.

Giving evidence himself, Bond admitted hitting Bretherton, who he described as a bully and thief, with an iron bar but insisted he did not intend to kill him. However the admission of intentionally hitting his victim on the head with a weapon that weighed five pounds was enough for him to be found guilty of murder by the jury. 

Bond was then sentenced to death by Mr Justice Byrne. His execution was just days away when the the Home Secretary James Chuter Ede intervened on 12th July and gave him a reprieve, the sentence being commuted to life imprisonment. 

A Shocking Tragedy in Wavertree

In 1850 a terrible event occurred in Wavertree when a domestic servant suspected of killing her infant child committed suicide by drinking poison.

Catherine Carnall was employed by Francis Hollins, a cotton broker who lived in Cow Lane (now Prince Alfred Road). She was the daughter of a Leicestershire farmer and described as of amiable disposition.

In October that year Carnall gave Hollins notice that she would be leaving his service. However on the 17th of the month he received a badly handwritten letter indicating that she had given birth to a child three weeks earlier. When Hollins challenged her she mad a full confession, saying she had wrapped the child up in her apron and let it in the privy.

Hollins ordered a search of the privy and the body of an infant was recovered. This led to Carnall running out and trying to jump into a pond to drown herself. Hollins managed to stop her and took her back to the house and confined her in the parlour. When she asked for permission to go the the water closet, she was allowed to do so but only under the supervision of three other servants. On getting there, she tried to open an adjoining closet instead and was stopped, but then given permission to get an apple.

When Carnall got the apple she immediately threw it on the floor and grabbed a bottle of vitriol, swallowing some of the contents. The bottle was knocked away from her mouth but she collapsed immediately. On being told what had happened Hollins sent for Dr Kenyon of the High Street, but the remedies he had available were not able to save her.

An inquest was held on the body of the baby two days later at Mr Hollins' house. Dr Kenyon gave his opinion that the child had breathed once or twice, but the coroner's jury did not believe that was sufficient evidence to conclude that it had been born alive. In respect of Carnall, they returned a verdict of suicide through temporary insanity.