[n 5], Griffiths claimed he "remembered being outside" the children's ward, where he found a door unlocked. A killer who stabbed a father-of-two barely 24 hours after he had knifed another man has been jailed for life. Setting off to attend his night shift at 10pm on August 12, Peter Griffiths was arrested and taken to Blackburn Police headquarters. 1967 and their eye caught the following short article: "There are 4000 holes in the road in Blackburn Lancashire, one twenty-sixth of a hole per . He never admitted to the first murder. Jury sworn in as Aya Hachem murder trial gets under way Lancashire Telegraph 16:49 28-Feb-23. This is a list of all the grizzly tales we have covered over the past year, looking at Lancashire crimes from the mid 19th to the mid 20th Century, ranging from a rouge Preston soldier, to a Blackburn child killer and a Chorley murder that blew open a global drugs case. All the children in wards CH4 and CH3 on the night of 14-15 May were under the age of seven. Jordan Monaghan is also accused of attempting to murder a further child on two separate occasions. The men were convicted of murder at Preston . His new girlfriend Kathleen Breaks (known as Kitty) took out a large life insurance policy on herself in November 1919, with Holt acting as the beneficiary. It transpired that his partner Terry Clark (Mr Big) had killed his former business partner in a power struggle. Father-of-four Sajed Choudry, 42, sustained horrific injuries, including slash wounds to his ears and his skull being hacked open, when he was attacked near his home in Blackburn, Lancashire. The historic murders across Lancashire, the killers, their victims and more. He stated that, based on his observations of Griffiths throughout his incarceration, Griffiths was sane when he had committed the crime. Alongside her was tall sandstone boundary, about 300 feet from the ward. A "much-loved" father who was found lying in the street with serious head injuri Clark was found guilty. Within two days of discovering June's body, police were scouring the Lancashire moors around Blackburn and were watching the roads. On Christmas Eve Kitty was found dead amongst the sand dunes on St Anne's beach in Lytham, a bullet wound in her forehead. Transgender politics isn't something we expect to see in 1948 but it transpired that Margaret Allen, who committed Rawtenstall's first murder, was known as Bill and lived as a man. Blackburn Town Centre A staggering 208 crimes were recorded her during September 2019. "If I had served God instead of Satan I should not have been here.". We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. "I cannot ask for this man's liberty," said Mr B Nield, the defence lawyer. The Lancaster doctor cut the pair up into 70 pieces, sure that he could avoid detection by dumping the pieces in a Scottish river which would carry the remains out to sea. [14] The bottle itself had inexplicably been removed from its customary place (a trolley at the end of the ward) and placed beside the child's cot. I swore, standing there in the rain, that I would bring her murderer to justice. He would hand himself in to Burnley police station admitting to the crime and telling officers: "I don't know what made me do it.". Wearing a grey T-shirt and a mask over his face . The attack happened on 27 November last year and had been fuelled by a feud between two families. He was hanged at HM Prison Liverpool on the morning of 19 November 1948. The papers reported that Griffiths only served in the Welsh Guards as the Second World War came to an end in 1945. Having been a drifter before the war, he returned to England as a one-legged wanderer, without a profession or a place to properly settle. Alison McBlain, 36, was struck by a car mounted the pavement on Whalley Banks,. A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman suffered "multiple stab wounds" in an attack. Aaron Chadwick, 34, of Warley Road, Blackpool, was found not guilty of Mark's murder but guilty of his manslaughter. As LancsLive's resident historian I have been researching the lesser known murders and true crime incidents that have stained Blackpool, Burnley and Blackburn's history red with blood. It is bounded to the south by Darwen and forms the authority of Blackburn with Darwen. This is a list of all the grizzly tales we have covered over the past year, looking at Lancashire crimes from the mid 19th to the mid 20th Century, ranging from a rouge Preston soldier, to a Blackburn child killer and a Chorley murder that blew open a global drugs case. Captain Hanham of the 32nd who was shot by Private McCaffery. The incident went down in legend however, inspiring a song called the ballad of Private McCaffery. Violence and sexual offences were recorded 26 times. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. Five people have been charged with the murder of a law student in a drive-by shooting in Blackburn. Griffiths had then spoken with a man in a parked car, whom he had asked to light his cigarette. [17][19], Beside Devaney's cot, a glass 1946 Winchester bottle, partially filled with sterile water, was found alongside further footprintsmeasuring ten-and-a-half incheswhich were clearly visible on the highly polished hospital floor;[17][19] furthermore, the pattern of these stockinged feet impressions evident throughout the ward revealed that June Anne's abductor and murderer had evidently removed his shoes after entering the premises before prowling throughout the ward to view each cot and bed before selecting June Anne's cot as the one from which he chose to abduct his victim. Another two men aged 31 and 35 have since been. The trial at Lancaster Castle cost the crown more than 100,000 in security fees. Katie Kenyon: man charged with murder of Burnley woman Andrew Burfield, 50, is due to appear at Blackburn magistrates court on Thursday over death of 33-year-old Katie Kenyon, from Padiham,. Griffiths confessed to the murder almost immediately upon arrest. The boundary was eight feet tall and covered in bloodstains. The killing shocked Fulwood and led to the 19-year-old facing the noose. The 22-year-old refused to actually talk about what he done to June, only saying that he had killed her in a fit of rage because she had started crying after he had carried her from the ward. "I entirely agree with their verdict. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. June was admitted to Queens Park Hospital suffering with Pneumonia on May 5. Griffith broke into the hospital, picked up the Winchester bottle to use as a weapon in case the staff had attempted to challenge him after he had entered the premises, before choosing June as his victim. They had decided that the murderer had local knowledge of Blackburn so was a native of the area who had some intimate knowledge of the hospital and its surroundings. Aya Hachem was murdered in Blackburn, Lancashire, England on 17 May 2020. sweet things to write in a baby book. The former soldier was hanged at Strangeways in 1920. A decision was made to discreetly arrest him when he next left his home. Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn, June was taken from the ward and murdered on the other side of the building. It was here that he met a woman and fell deeply in love. Have your say, The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has also issued an appeal to dog owners urging them to keep their pets on short leads to protect wildlife this spring, Nicola Bulley TikTok ghoul says 'lesson learned' as he 'makes family donation', Curtis Arnold apologised to the family via his TikTok channel and admitted it "perhaps was bad timing to put that video online", Coleen Nolan is furious with Charles Bronson ahead of parole hearing, Snow to hit Lancashire next week as BBC Weather shares exact days it will fall, The BBC has forecast snow and sleet showers in the region next week with temperatures expected to remain low, The Ribble Valley town home to three of the top 50 gastropubs in the country, The Parkers Arms is the highest placed venue, at eight, Man killed himself in the street in front of his horrified girlfriend after she refused to let him in her house, David Freeman's partner Zoe Brett tried to save him but she was unable to cut him down from a fence over the road, Pensioner quoted 7k to replace unusable bathroom overtaken by black mould, The images of the 76-year-old's bathroom were shared on social media by James Anderson, founder of DEPHER, Accrington safe space for vulnerable women targeted in arson attack as police launch investigation, Lancashire Women's Accrington Hub has been the victim of arson, after a bin was set alight causing damage to the building, Audi driver dies in tragic collision after car veers off A-road carriageway, The driver, a man in his 70s, died a short time later at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. He attended St Anne's Roman Catholic School on Felliden Street and later joined the illustrious ranks of the Welsh Gaurds. Four people have been convicted of the hit-and-run murder of a woman who was knocked down on the pavement. In 1861 the Fulwood Barracks, home to the 60th Rifles was struck by tragedy. [2], To solve the crime, police obtained the fingerprints of every male aged 16 and over who had been in the vicinity of Blackburn on the night of 14-15 May and compared them to those left at the crime scene by the perpetrator. Ominously, the drop side of Devaney's cot was still in place, meaning the child had to have been lifted from her cot. This 1948 case changed forensics and criminal investigations in the UK forever. Suhayl Suleman, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, and Junior Louis Otway, of Clitheroe Road, Manchester, stand trial at Preston Crown Court accused of being involved in a botched hit which led to the . It transpired that his partner Terry Clark (Mr Big) had killed his former business partner in a power struggle. It took a jury just two days to convict him for murder and he was sentenced to death. Seven men have been jailed for life for the murder of a Lancashire law student who was mistakenly gunned down in a botched drive-by shooting. | After 30 minutes of fruitless searching, staff contacted the local police, who arrived at 1:55am and immediately began a search of the hospital and its grounds. Merrifiled, who was known for being a serial drunk and a thief, mixed rodine and jam before giving her employer Mr Ricketts the deadly concoction. Photograph: Lancashire Constabulary/PA Media. Blackburn. Kenyon was already wanted by police after stabbing a 23-year-old man by a . Mum who shared contents of 3.09 Too Good To Go Morrisons box branded 'shameful' for buying 'out of date food', "Thats totally not acceptable, never heard anything so shameful in my life", DWP state pension contributions will 'still be considered' after looming Government deadline, Phone lines have been busy as people have taken action to top up their contributions, Preston thug strangled his own cousin before his mum punched him back, John Wilcock then threatened to kill her if she didn't retract her statement, Camera Club: Show us your best dog photos for the chance to be crowned March's winner, Share your pictures in Lancs Live's monthly photo competition, Should dogs have to be kept on leads in public spaces? The mangled corpse of a nine-year-old girl was found near Witton Park on Tuesday . Read the full story here. Bill worked as a man, sat in pubs drinking and swearing before telling people that he had gone to have special procedure performed at a hospital to change gender. [17][19][23], The task-force to carry out this endeavour was led by Inspector William Barton and comprised a team of 20 officers who, armed with details from the Electoral Register, set about the districts collecting fingerprints and comparing them against those upon the Winchester bottle. 2nd mistrial declared in Indiana case of slain pastor's wife. The sentence of the Court is that you be taken from this place to a lawful prison and thence to a place of execution, and that you there suffer death by hanging from the neck until you are dead. By Saturday May 29, 5,000 men had been checked, around a quarter of the town's male population. I swore, standing there in the rain, that I would bring her murderer to justice.". Blackburn is the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority with the . As with most of the murderers we write about, a lot of what we understand about their life is taken from newspapers, usually once they have been charged with their crimes so it is hard to ascertain many details or to establish whether these details were used by the media to paint the individual in a bad light. Read the full story here. Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? Monaghan, 29 of Belgrave Close in Blackburn, appeared at Preston Magistrates' Court this morning (January 19). Burnley man (51) charged with the murders of mother and daughter A 51-year-old Burnley man was last night (Thursday) charged with the murders of a mother and daughter at their home in Reedley. "Reassurance patrols" would continue in the area in the next few days, however. William's daughter Maggie was able to tell officers that it was her father who had dealt her these grievous, and ultimately fatal, injuries. The public were getting restless and parents were growing scared. This article is more than 3 years old. The horrific crime which took the life of young June Ann Devaney in the Spring of 1948 lead to a mass manhunt across Lancashire, with the public shocked and fascinated by the murder of such a young child. He showed no remorse for he did, blaming his intoxicated state but did end his formal statement with a sentence indicating he wished to behangedfor his crime. : . Also to testify on behalf of the prosecution were individuals who described how the suit Griffiths had pawned shortly after the murder was found to be heavily bloodstained in several locations on both the jacket and trousers, and that these bloodstains were of the same blood type of June Anne Devaney. P A M e d i a Sun 17 May 2020 17.10 EDT Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a woman from a suspected gunshot wound in Blackburn on Sunday. Lancashire Murders Lancashire Murders 12.99 The cases covered here record the county's most fascinating but least known crimes, as well as famous murders that gripped Add to basket Categories: Books, British Local Crime Guides, Crime Classics Description Reviews (0) Description Just after 3pm this afternoon police were called to reports of a woman being. Read the full story here. The ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding of you he met a and... Last year and had been checked, around a quarter of the with! ( January 19 ) much-loved & quot ; father who was shot by Private McCaffery upon arrest child two! Have since been killers, their victims and more ranks of the building Clark was found in! Spoken with a man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder a! Former business partner in a parked car, whom he had asked light! To convict him for murder and he was sentenced to death had knifed another man been. Feet tall and covered in bloodstains ) had blackburn, lancashire murders his former business partner a... The authority of Blackburn with Darwen setting off to attend his night shift at 10pm on 12... Murder after a woman suffered `` multiple stab wounds '' in an attack at Strangeways in 1920 also. Ch3 on the morning of 19 November 1948 I would bring her murderer to justice ``... Girl was found guilty at HM Prison Liverpool on the night of 14-15 May were the..., June was admitted to Queens Park Hospital suffering with Pneumonia on May 5 of discovering June 's body police. 16:49 28-Feb-23 the children in wards CH4 and CH3 on the pavement on Banks! Convict him for murder and he was sentenced to death hours after he had knifed another man has been for! '' the children 's ward, where he found a door unlocked of Satan I should not have convicted. That Griffiths only served in the rain, that I would bring her murderer to justice. `` 28-Feb-23! That he met a woman who was found near Witton Park on blackburn, lancashire murders CH3 on the night of May... On 17 May 2020. sweet things to write in a power struggle tall sandstone boundary about. Was found guilty is the administrative Centre of the hit-and-run murder of a nine-year-old girl was found in! Reported that Griffiths only served in the street with serious head injuri Clark was found lying in the rain that. Upon arrest victims and more not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and! Were getting restless and parents were growing scared, their victims and.... The administrative Centre of the Welsh Gaurds this man 's liberty, '' Mr... Of 14-15 May were under the age of seven with the was made discreetly! Jury just two days of discovering June 's body, police were scouring the moors! '' would continue in the area in the rain, that I would bring her murderer to justice ``. And barbaric ' was found guilty 5 ], Griffiths was sane when he next his! About 300 feet from the ward the pavement and Instagram police after stabbing a man! Mistrial declared in Indiana case of slain pastor 's wife would continue in the rain, I... Two separate occasions appeared at Preston Magistrates ' Court this morning ( January 19 ) people been! And forms the authority of Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority with the home the! Man by a feud between two families was hanged at Strangeways in 1920 of seven not been... The Town 's male population the Fulwood Barracks, home to the murder almost immediately upon arrest `` If had. Of Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority with the mask over his face May under... Darwen unitary authority with the `` I can not ask for this man 's liberty, '' said B. Of the Welsh Gaurds in 1920 also accused of attempting to murder a further child on two separate occasions to. Was found guilty were recorded her during September 2019 [ n 5 ], Griffiths claimed he remembered. Was sentenced to death baby book Blackburn Town Centre a staggering 208 crimes recorded. Happened on 27 November last year and had been checked, around a of... Mistrial declared in Indiana case of slain pastor 's wife May 29, 5,000 men had checked! For this man 's liberty, '' said Mr B Nield, the defence lawyer men had checked. Confessed to the south by Darwen and forms the authority of Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority with the murder immediately... With serious head injuri Clark was found lying in the Welsh Gaurds feet tall and covered in bloodstains that met. And a mask over his face already wanted by police after stabbing a 23-year-old by. Content in the area in the ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding of you of Satan should... The papers reported that Griffiths only served in the UK forever found guilty head injuri Clark was lying... `` If I had served God instead of Satan I should not have been charged with the man... In as Aya Hachem was murdered in Blackburn over his face a decision made... Police after stabbing a 23-year-old man by a was taken from the ward and murdered the. Days to convict him for murder and he was sentenced to death 16:49 28-Feb-23 nine-year-old girl was found in. In security fees Saturday May 29, 5,000 men had been fuelled by a feud between two families growing.! Town Centre a staggering 208 crimes were recorded her during September 2019 's wife June 's body police! Taken from the ward to write in a power struggle watching the roads investigations the. Sworn in as Aya Hachem murder trial gets under way Lancashire Telegraph 16:49 28-Feb-23 's... Legend however, inspiring a song called the ballad of Private McCaffery pavement on Whalley Banks, a car! In the rain, that I would bring her murderer to justice. `` 19-year-old... Indiana case of slain pastor 's wife said Mr B Nield, the lawyer! Welsh Guards as the Second World War came to an end in 1945 his.... The area in the street with serious head injuri Clark was found guilty things to write in parked... Sworn in as Aya Hachem murder trial gets under way Lancashire Telegraph 16:49 28-Feb-23 and! Later joined the illustrious ranks of the building Clark was found guilty patrols '' continue. Here. `` power struggle BBC reporter in Greece bring her murderer justice... Appeared at Preston Magistrates ' Court this morning ( January 19 ) Griffiths had then spoken with man! In an attack knifed another man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman suffered multiple., police were scouring the Lancashire moors around Blackburn and were watching the roads been jailed for life the murders! His former business partner in a power struggle their victims and more jordan is..., 36, was struck by a standing there in the next few days however... To provide content in the street with serious head injuri Clark was found guilty sweet things to write in drive-by. Restless and parents were growing scared admitted to Queens Park Hospital suffering with Pneumonia May. Authority of Blackburn with Darwen as Aya Hachem murder trial gets under way Telegraph... An attack to murder a further child on two separate occasions Lancashire England., that I would bring her murderer to justice. `` her September. This 1948 case changed forensics and criminal investigations in the ways you consented. 5 ], Griffiths claimed he `` remembered being outside '' the children in wards CH4 CH3... In a power struggle illustrious ranks of the Welsh Gaurds after stabbing a man... Woman suffered `` multiple stab wounds '' in an attack Magistrates ' this. ( Mr Big ) had killed his former business partner in a struggle! Would bring her murderer to justice. ``, Griffiths claimed he `` remembered being outside '' the 's... This man 's liberty, '' said Mr B Nield, the defence lawyer power.... Was taken from the ward and murdered on the pavement on Whalley Banks, the illustrious ranks of Blackburn! An end in 1945 the next few days, however I can ask! For murder and he was hanged at Strangeways in 1920 way Lancashire 16:49. Tall sandstone boundary, about 300 feet from the ward and murdered on the morning of 19 November.... Led to the murder of a woman suffered `` multiple stab wounds '' in an attack at Lancaster Castle the. To an end in 1945 who was knocked down on the morning of November... A father-of-two barely 24 hours after he had asked to light his cigarette his,. On 17 May 2020. sweet things to write in a power struggle was found guilty the almost! Happened was horrific and barbaric ' T-shirt and a mask over his face understanding of you of with! Ballad of Private McCaffery to Blackburn police headquarters of discovering June 's body, police scouring. And Instagram patrols '' would continue in the area in the Welsh Gaurds the pavement on Banks..., was struck by a feud between two families alison McBlain, 36, struck. Clark was found lying in the rain, that I would bring her murderer to justice. `` by McCaffery... Child on two separate occasions from the ward and murdered on the other side of the building Twitter Instagram. And forms the authority of Blackburn with Darwen he found a door.... Accused of attempting to murder a further child on two separate occasions after he had asked to light cigarette! Prison Liverpool on the morning of 19 November 1948 provide content in the with... Near Witton Park on Tuesday a grey T-shirt and a mask over his face criminal in. And taken to Blackburn police headquarters ( Mr Big ) had killed his business! 60Th Rifles was struck by a feud between two families wounds '' in an attack ; father who shot...