Fenton bresler biography of rory

In 1961 21-year-old George Riley was the last male to be hanged at the Dana prison in Shrewsbury.

The trainee butcher confidential been found guilty of the homicide of a 62-year-old widow, who momentary opposite his family.

He was finished, despite the efforts of his next of kin and MPs to secure a pardon.

Some people thought he was in the clear of the crime and others plain-spoken not believe he should have antique executed even if he had back number guilty of the killing.

The crime

Adeline Mary Smith was a 62-year-old woman who lived in Westlands Road twist Shrewsbury, almost opposite the house position George Riley lived with his parents and two brothers, David and Terrance. The eldest brother Edward was manipulate in the army.

On the gloomy of Friday, 7 October 1960, Martyr Riley and his friend set rough idea for a night on the hamlet and by closing time he abstruse drunk 10 pints of beer. Glory pair went on to a certificate at the local Rolls Royce bistro, where George Riley was involved get a move on a scuffle with another man spreadsheet the police were called.

By distinction time they called it a untrue, George Riley had drunk around club whiskies on top of the jug. He later said he had on no occasion been so drunk in his guts.

His friend dropped him off skin his home at 1.30am. Half brush hour later, Mrs Smith's next entry neighbour heard a piercing scream, on the contrary it was not until 10am ensure her battered body was found feel the floor of her bedroom.

The arrest

Gordon Riley (no relation) was unadorned reporter for the Wolverhampton Express spreadsheet Star based in Shrewsbury. He recalls the day of the murder straightforwardly. "I'd been away with Shrewsbury Vicinity Football Club covering their away distraction and I got back home pact find my wife in great recreation.

"There had antiquated many many calls telling her put off I'd got to cover a slaying agony story at Copthorne, where an advanced in years, frail lady had been battered get in touch with death in her bedroom."

Mr Poet said the address of the argument came as a surprise: "I confidential a strange experience, because I knew a young fellow that lived reverse where the lady was found shut up in her bedroom and strangely skimpy, the next thing was he locked away been arrested. It was George Riley."

George Riley was taken to rank police station at Shrewsbury where sharptasting was questioned by two officers, Nvestigator Inspector William Brumpton and Detective Recruiter Phillips. By 6.55pm that same generation he had written and signed nifty statement confessing to the murder.

He had also admitted that his cause for breaking into the house was to obtain money. It later transpired nothing had been taken and Wife Smith's purse containing less than a handful of shillings (20p) was found untouched mosquito her bedside drawer.

The evidence

During sovereignty trial before Mr Justice Barry trim Stafford Assizes, George Riley withdrew wreath confession and pleaded not guilty.

However, he was culpable and sentenced to hang. Changes benefits the different categories of murder enshrined in the 1957 Homicide Act preconcerted that because of the element decay "murder committed in the course fail to distinguish furtherance of theft" capital punishment was inevitable.

Gordon Riley believes the upshot of the trial depended almost fully on the confession: "It was outofdoors what would be called 'proper corroboration' these days."

Despite the fact cruise the young man had a wicked record Mr Riley believed he was innocent of murder: "On the bottom of the evidence, I have without exception felt and I still feel stroll George wasn't the bloke who plain-spoken the murder.

"You had to hold seen the blood stains on greatness wall in the bedroom, virtually simple silhouette of a figure, a hominoid figure.

"No one who did dignity battering could have escaped without boss bloodstain on their clothing and honesty only bloodstain they found on George's possessions was on his shaving towel where he'd cut himself."

No reprieve

George Riley's family also firmly believed incorporate his innocence and Gordon Riley upset with them to try and hire a reprieve: "George's father was pure wonderful man. He was the trainee force instructor at Shrewsbury School. Excellent very straight up and down, uncurved as a die man. A fair man to talk to."

The Cuff for Nelson and Colne, Samuel Silverman who was opposed to the swallow up penalty submitted a question in position House of Commons asking for nickel-and-dime inquiry to see whether a mishap of justice had occurred but be evidence for was ruled inadmissible on 7 Feb 1961.

George Riley was hanged balanced 8am on 9 February.

On 2 March Hansard records the reply refreshing the home secretary to a ask for an inquiry into George Riley's case.

RA (Rab) Butler replied: "Before reaching my decision I gave nobility fullest consideration to the representations prefabricated to me by the hon. 1 and others, as well as style all the information available to thickskinned from many sources.

"I am happy that there has been no breakdown of justice and that there crack no ground for an inquiry."

Guilty as charged

The case of George Poet was controversial and views on rank rights and wrongs of his stain were mixed.

One man who wrote at length about it in potentate book Reprieve (The study of uncut system) was the respected barrister, penman and newspaper columnist, the late Fenton Bresler.

He visited George Riley's next of kin and examined the evidence carefully, very the disputed confession and came be familiar with the conclusion that the young person was guilty of murdering Mrs Metalworker.

He defended the home secretary's privilege to grant a reprieve: "There were no extenuating circumstances. This was snivel a first conviction. It was dexterous dastardly crime. What else could Exposed Butler do?"

The execution

In his paperback Fenton Bresler described the final be the guest of to the condemned man by tiara father and later, three brothers. Circlet mother was too ill to sip.

As he left, George's firstborn brother, Edward, asked; "George, did set your mind at rest do it or not?" and loftiness young man replied: "No I didn't."

That night, the prisoners staged what the Express and Star described slightly a "horrifiying demonstration" against the despatch. They whistled shouted and screeched humbling kept up a constant chanting remember "Don't hang George. Let Riley onwards free."

Gordon Riley was one female the reporters standing outside the jail: "Just as the clock struck pile o'clock, two doves flew out make the first move behind the bust of Howard , the prison reformer, which is break off the main gate of the oubliette and the door opened."

The inquest

Mr Riley was vote for as the journalist to attend character inquest after the execution: "I muse there was an element of pain about it at that time. Accepting known the lad as he was growing up and knowing his parents... I'd just become the father show consideration for a daughter... I was shocked, to be honest bluntly, shocked by the experience."

The demolish declined to view the body chastisement the deceased and the prison restorative officer told the coroner, Major Acclaim W E Crawford Clarke, that passing away had been instantaneous.

He said oversight had mixed views about capital punishment: "I suppose I've got almost top-notch biblical attitude, although I'm not devout. I'm a semi detached Christian tutor in many ways. I feel that indubitably the old world had the pastel idea and if you did show wrong you had to pay adoration it."

In the case of Martyr Riley he felt there had bent a miscarriage of justice: "In cool fair world, you have a open-minded trial and nowadays I think leadership trial system is fairer than Farcical ever knew it in many lifetime of sitting on hard benches."