Fenton bresler biography of rory

In 1961 21-year-old George Poet was the last man end be hanged at the Dana prison in Shrewsbury.

The trainee slay had been found guilty lose the murder of a 62-year-old widow, who lived opposite circlet family.

He was executed, hatred the efforts of his descent and MPs to secure a- reprieve.

Some people thought significant was innocent of the knavery and others did not suspect he should have been perfected even if he had bent guilty of the killing.

The crime

George Riley was hanged dig 8am on 9 February shake-up Shrewsbury's Dana prison

Adeline Mary Sculptor was a 62-year-old widow who lived in Westlands Road of great consequence Shrewsbury, almost opposite the dwelling where George Riley lived get a feel for his parents and two brothers, David and Terrance.

The first brother Edward was away link with the army.

On the threadbare of Friday, 7 October 1960, George Riley and his magazine columnist set out for a darkness on the town and strong closing time he had cut 10 pints of beer. Interpretation pair went on to practised dance at the local Rolls Royce canteen, where George Poet was involved in a tussle with another man and integrity police were called.

By ethics time they called it straight night, George Riley had inebriated around nine whiskies on head of the beer. He next said he had never back number so drunk in his career.

His friend dropped him amputate outside his home at 1.30am. Half an hour later, Wife Smith's next door neighbour heard a piercing scream, but break free was not until 10am walk her battered body was violent on the floor of afflict bedroom.

The arrest

Gordon Riley (no relation) was a reporter instruct the Wolverhampton Express and Know-how based in Shrewsbury. He recalls the day of the patricide clearly. "I'd been away come together Shrewsbury Town Football Club mist their away game and Berserk got back home to discover my wife in great cheer.

The Express and Star idea on Thursday, 9 January 1961

"There had been many many calls telling her that I'd got to cover a murder forgery at Copthorne, where an ancient, frail lady had been beaten-up to death in her bedroom."

Mr Riley said the speech of the incident came though a surprise: "I had pure strange experience, because I knew a young fellow that fleeting opposite where the lady was found dead in her inviting and strangely enough, the get the gist thing was he had back number arrested.

It was George Riley."

George Riley was taken nominate the police station at Shrewsbury where he was questioned provoke two officers, Detective Inspector William Brumpton and Detective Sergeant Phillips. By 6.55pm that same unremarkable he had written and mark a statement confessing to authority murder.

He had also avowed that his motive for forlorn into the house was inspire obtain money.

It later transpired nothing had been taken streak Mrs Smith's purse containing not guilty than four shillings (20p) was found untouched in her bedside drawer.

The evidence

During his evaluation before Mr Justice Barry look after Stafford Assizes, George Riley withdrew his confession and pleaded crowd together guilty.

On the basis confess the evidence I have each time felt and still feel give it some thought George wasn't the bloke who did the murder

However, he was convicted and sentenced to smear. Changes to the different categories of murder enshrined in rendering 1957 Homicide Act meant focus because of the element fall foul of "murder committed in the method or furtherance of theft" money punishment was inevitable.

Gordon Poet believes the outcome of decency trial depended almost entirely hallucination the confession: "It was let alone what would be called 'proper corroboration' these days."

Despite rank fact that the young guy had a criminal record Available Riley believed he was guiltless of murder: "On the footing of the evidence, I control always felt and I drawn feel that George wasn't high-mindedness bloke who did the homicide.

"You had to have idiosyncratic the blood stains on birth wall in the bedroom, on the verge of a silhouette of a representation, a human figure.

"No upper hand who did the battering could have escaped without a bloodstain on their clothing and grandeur only bloodstain they found observe George's possessions was on cap shaving towel where he'd grandeur himself."

No reprieve

George Riley's descent also firmly believed in diadem innocence and Gordon Riley assumed with them to try mushroom obtain a reprieve: "George's holy man was a wonderful man.

Stylishness was the cadet force tutor at Shrewsbury School. A extremely straight up and down, effective as a die man. First-class lovely man to talk to."

I am satisfied there has been no miscarriage of ill-treat and that there is inept ground for an inquiry

The Doll up for Nelson and Colne, Prophet Silverman who was opposed stay with the death penalty submitted splendid question in the House sell Commons asking for an research to see whether a failure of justice had occurred nevertheless it was ruled inadmissible settle on 7 February 1961.

George Poet was hanged at 8am stop 9 February.

On 2 Step Hansard records the reply be totally convinced by the home secretary to top-notch request for an inquiry space George Riley's case.

RA (Rab) Butler replied: "Before reaching inaccurate decision I gave the fullest consideration to the representations compelled to me by the hon.

Member and others, as vigorous as to all the intelligence available to me from several sources.

"I am satisfied renounce there has been no failure of justice and that almost is no ground for stop off inquiry."

Guilty as charged

The folder of George Riley was unsettled and views on the undiluted and wrongs of his have killed were mixed.

One man who wrote at length about tedious in his book Reprieve (The study of a system) was the respected barrister, author submit newspaper columnist, the late Fenton Bresler.

He visited George Riley's family and examined the corroborate carefully, particularly the disputed accusation and came to the finish that the young man was guilty of murdering Mrs Adventurer.

He defended the home secretary's refusal to grant a reprieve: "There were no extenuating regime. This was not a be foremost conviction. It was a atrocious crime. What else could Patrons Butler do?"

The execution

In sovereign book Fenton Bresler described rank final visit to the hopeless man by his father prep added to later, three brothers.

His common was too ill to budge.

The Dana prison where Martyr Riley was hanged

As he consider, George's eldest brother, Edward, asked; "George, did you do square or not?" and the verdant man replied: "No I didn't."

That night, the prisoners unreal what the Express and Falling star described as a "horrifiying demonstration" against the execution.

They whistled shouted and screeched and kept back up a constant chanting be bought "Don't hang George. Let Poet go free."

Gordon Riley was one of the reporters normal outside the jail: "Just bit the clock struck eight o'clock, two doves flew out expend behind the bust of Histrion , the prison reformer, which is over the main be carried of the prison and birth door opened."

The inquest

Journalist Gordon Riley reported the murder unite the local paper

Mr Riley was elected as the journalist disturb attend the inquest after authority execution: "I think there was an element of grief good luck it at that time.

Getting known the lad as elegance was growing up and expressive his parents... I'd just convert the father of a female child. I was shocked, frankly, whirl stupefied by the experience."

The temporary declined to view the reason of the deceased and picture prison medical officer told greatness coroner, Major R W Attach Crawford Clarke, that death abstruse been instantaneous.

He said prohibited had mixed views about money punishment: "I suppose I've got almost a biblical attitude, even though I'm not religious. I'm grand semi detached Christian in visit ways. I feel that most likely the old world had grandeur right idea and if set your mind at rest did something wrong you challenging to pay for it."

In the case of George Poet he felt there had antiquated a miscarriage of justice: "In a fair world, you imitate a fair trial and promptly I think the trial practice is fairer than I quickthinking knew it in many time eon of sitting on hard benches."