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Crimes : Birmingham murders

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Thanks all, Ann - I think we must be married to the same man! I'll try typing that description into Amazon and see what happens!
all you will get is a an offer of a new hubbie that cant be bad but us husbands are all the same sorry sounds a gruesome book !
 
Oops never looked at the names, just looked at the story "Axed just one week after marriage". Thanks Jules.
 
I found it, page 88 Florrie Clifford was attacked with an axe by her husband William Harris, and died 5 days later, it's on page 89.
 
Is there anything in the book about highwayman murders? Apparently, family history has it that someone was murdered on their way home by a highwayman, i think in Aston. Not sure what the name was. Possibly Hinton, Derrington or Perks. Would be graeful if someone could have a look and let me know.

Thanks (in advance)
Mand
 
I have been facinated by this horrific murder for some time i doubt the ywca hostel in wheeleys rd is still standing but what is it now and did the murderer of stephanie hang or is he still alive
 
From https://www.derekbentley.com/murder_b.htm#Byrne


Patrick Byrne

  • On 23rd December 1959 police were called the YMCA hostel in Birmingham following a report of an attack on a young woman. The woman, Margaret Brown, had been working in the laundry room when she had been attacked but she had screamed and her attacker had run off.
    The rooms and grounds of the hostel were searched and, when police broke down the door to Room 4, in an annexe, they found the naked, headless, sexually assaulted body of 29-year-old Stephanie Baird lying on the floor of her room. On the bed was her severed head.
    A search of the room found no significant fingerprints but did turn up a note that read 'This is the thing I thought would never come.' A full-scale search of the surrounding area failed to turn up anything of significance.
    Over the next few weeks some 20,000 men were interviewed by police. Eventually police interviewed Patrick Byrne. He now lived in Warrington, but had previously lived near the YMCA hostel. He became agitated when police asked for his fingerprints and it was not long before he confessed to the killing.
    [SIZE=+1]He was tried at Birmingham Assizes in March 1960. He pleaded dimished responsibility and medical evidence was given that described Byrne as an aggresive psychopath with a long history of sexual abnormality. He was, however, found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. The verdict was later reduced to that of manslaughter upon appeal, but it did not alter the sentence.
 
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I will always remember the murder of Stephanie Baird. I was at home alone that evening when the story was announced on TV. I was very frightened I remember. It was very close to Xmas and in the days that followed
women were very scared in Brum. Years later I met a women where I worked in Vancouver, who was staying at the YMCA in Brum that night.Such a coincidence really. I don't know what happened to Patrick Bryne, who committed the murder. The Y closed and went somewhere else in Edgbaston.
 
My Dad who was a policeman and on leave at the time was drafted in as were many other off duty officers.
Our next door neighbour was the police photographer on the case and was very much affected by what he saw.
 
This was my first murder enquiry and will not go into the details of it, for as stated, it was par gruesome.

It was told that the officer who first entered the room where the body was went off sick as a result.

Byrne was arrested by sheer luck as I have been told. Following that murder part of the enquiries were devoted to persons who had lived in the area and who had either left the area and/or failed to go into work the next day. Byrne fitted the bill in both these scenarios. A questionaire was sent to the police, where he had moved to, and a officer duly called upon him.
The form was duly completed and the officer left. The word I picked up at the time was that the officer had forgotten to enquire into a question on the form. He sensibly returned and Byrne was so anxious that he slipped up, in the earlier questioning, he more of less gave himself up. Lucky that the officer was not a lazy one and save returning to see Byrne, had filled the outstanding question himself and returned it.
If he had not gone back the chances were that Byrne would never have been brought to book. Will.
 
Does any remember a school girl that was murdered in july 1978. I think her name was Candice Williams. She was about 13yrs old, she was found in or near some flats in Erdington
 
I remember it like it was yesterday. I lived round the corner from the flat where she was killed. I remember the police coming round to everyone's house to question us and ask us all where we were when it happened. It was a very scary time for us kids I can tell you as we all used to play in Witton Lakes park-opposite the flat.

It was even worse when a few years ago they charged a man who lived at the top of my road for the murder.......
 
yes i recall it ..... she was a mixed race girl but i cant remember
the court case , i must try goggle on it .
ragga :)
 
She was found in the flats at the bottom of Bleak Hill Rd. I was 29yrs old at the time and as Mrs T said, the police visited every house in the area. I happened to be at the inlaws house when they came knocking and i had to endure an interview as did all the young men of the area, not very pleasant.


bren
 
Hi Bren: That's very tough that you had to go through the interview process regarding the murder. It always seems like the police act as though everyone
they interview is somehow involved or knows something. My family
lived not far from Bleak Hill Road and so it was very close and upsetting for everyone in the area. At least the police eventually caught the man who committed this tragic crime.
 
Yes was a nasty time.
She was found in Wyrley House, the block of flats oppostie Witton Lakes Park she didn't live far away,just up on Stockland Green. From what I remember she had been to the fruit and veg shop on Short Heath Road,brought or was brought an apple then went willing or unwillingly into the flats.
The half eaten apple was found by her I think......
I read in the court report that her family in 2006(?) couldn't be traced,yet I know she had brothers and sisters.......
 
hi guys
does anybody recall the disapearing lady from ireland
whom stayed at the dubliner pub a couple of years
and beleived to have been murdered and dumped in
around the bromscrove area
can any body tell me whether or not did they ever find
the culprit or even the body
she had young children back at home awaiting for arrival
to come home
i personaly think they should bring back the noose
i know its very debateable and i have been to these politicl
meeting with goverment bodies and they get very heated
the last one i went to was up in ebber vale south wales
there was a riot going on
i myself say an eye for eye i know of a case personaly
that took place in birmingham some years ago
i knew this personaly whom committed the offence
with another friend and the person they attacked and
beat him to death. and this person was a handicapped
person ,they killed him dead ,
and this person whom i knew personaly served 18
months only in a open prison and was released
i have never spoken to this family since
the particular person whom committed the offence died
about four years ago of cancer
its like the story in the news this morning
the lockerbie bomber is dying with months to live
and they want him to be released on compassion
grounds , but did he have any compassion for the 200
or more he blew up ; i don,t think so
people whom commit murder should be executed
thats my opinioun
but i would really like to know did they find this young lady or not and if the culprit was caught
have a nice day every body best wishes astonian ,;;;;;
 
Hi Brown we drive past the place where Candice was murdered often and I always cast my mind back to when it happened. Jean.
 
hi guys
does anybody recall the disapearing lady from ireland
whom stayed at the dubliner pub a couple of years
and beleived to have been murdered and dumped in
around the bromscrove area
can any body tell me whether or not did they ever find
the culprit or even the body
she had young children back at home awaiting for arrival
to come home
i personaly think they should bring back the noose
i know its very debateable and i have been to these politicl
meeting with goverment bodies and they get very heated
the last one i went to was up in ebber vale south wales
there was a riot going on
i myself say an eye for eye i know of a case personaly
that took place in birmingham some years ago
i knew this personaly whom committed the offence
with another friend and the person they attacked and
beat him to death. and this person was a handicapped
person ,they killed him dead ,
and this person whom i knew personaly served 18
months only in a open prison and was released
i have never spoken to this family since
the particular person whom committed the offence died
about four years ago of cancer
its like the story in the news this morning
the lockerbie bomber is dying with months to live
and they want him to be released on compassion
grounds , but did he have any compassion for the 200
or more he blew up ; i don,t think so
people whom commit murder should be executed
thats my opinioun
but i would really like to know did they find this young lady or not and if the culprit was caught
have a nice day every body best wishes astonian ,;;;;;

There is some info here mate.

https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20070211/ai_n17225083/
 
The Murderer who killed women from the Dubliner has been sentence
to life in prison , i remember it quite well , he murdered his victim in
early hours of the morning , he was a regular customer in that pub
in Deritend the one that is painted in shamrock green , I cant think
of the name of it :( the sentencing reach all national newspaper ,
i should say around 1999/2000 , i think the women was a early
morning carer , and she was picked up @ the pub i mentioned .
I will investigate it more over the weekend .
ragga :)
 
hi barry
many thanks for your valuable time yet again and for down loading those
pages which i shall copy
i am very happy to hear that they have got him,for the sake of her family
even thou he his serving time in a irish prison on other charges and when he has finished that they will bring him back here and re charge him and do a life sentence
for her murder we know he as burried her in bromscrove area but where thats the big question only he knows the spot and surely he cannot denie the murder he must
tell them where he as dumped her there was a witness on the day whom seen them in the car on that early morning in and around the lanes of bromsgrove
so he cannot denie it the police came from cradley heath whom are dealing with it
i could not understand why central never dealt with it
i know they went through the motion of searching a distused farm
but i honestly beleive they could have done more
any way barry i will better stop there for now
once again barry thanks a million best wishes astonian ;;;
 
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