John Straffen

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John Straffen
Born:	27 February 1930 Borden Camp, Hampshire
Died:	19 November 2007
Cause of death:	Natural causes
Penalty:	Death (commuted to life imprisonment)
Killings
Number of victims:	3
Span of killings:	15 July 1951 through 29 April 1952
Country:	United Kingdom
Date apprehended:	9 August 1951

John Thomas Straffen (27 February 1930 – 19 November 2007) was a British murderer who was the longest-serving prisoner in British legal history. After a childhood dominated by assessments for mental deficiency, Straffen killed two young girls in the summer of 1951. He was found to be unfit to plead and committed to Broadmoor Hospital; during a brief escape in 1952 he killed again. This time he was convicted of murder. Respited due to his mental state, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and remained in prison until his death more than 50 years later.

Contents 1 Family life 2 Certification as a mental defective 2.1 Suspected of animal cruelty 3 Return to Bath 4 Arrest for burglary 5 Hortham Colony 6 Reassessment of mental state 7 Murders 7.1 Brenda Goddard 7.2 Cicely Batstone 8 Arrest and trial for Bath murders 9 Broadmoor escape 10 Murder of Linda Bowyer 11 Police investigation 12 Murder trial 13 Death Sentence 14 Prison 14.1 Isle of Wight 14.2 Durham 14.3 Prison term 15 Hopes for freedom 16 Death 17 External links 18 References

[edit] Family life

Straffen's father, John Straffen senior, was a soldier in the army. He was the third child in the family; his older sister was regarded as a "high grade mental defective" who died in 1952.^[1] Straffen was born at Borden Camp in Hampshire where his father was then based, but at the age of two his father was posted abroad and the family spent six years in India. Returning to Britain in March 1938, the John Straffen senior took a discharge from the Army and the family settled in Bath, Somerset.^[2]

[edit] Certification as a mental defective

In October 1938 Straffen was referred to a Child Guidance Clinic for pilfering and playing truant from school. In June 1939 he first came before a Juvenile Court for stealing a purse from a girl, and was given two years' probation. The Probation Officer who took charge of Straffen found that his task was an impossible one because Straffen had so little intelligence that he had no understanding of what probation meant and had no understanding of right and wrong.^[3] The family was living in crowded lodgings at the time and Straffen's mother had no time to help, so the Probation Officer took the boy to a psychiatrist. As a result, Straffen was certified as a mental defective under the Mental Deficiency Act 1927.^[4] A report was compiled on him in 1940 which gave his Intelligence Quotient as 58 and his mental age 6. From June 1940, the local authority sent him to a residential school for mentally defective children, St Joseph's School in Sambourne.^[5]

[edit] Suspected of animal cruelty

Two years later Straffen moved to Besford Court, a senior school. He was noted as a solitary boy who took correction very badly. In one incident when Straffen was 14, he was strongly suspected of being responsible for strangling two prize geese owned by one of the officers of the school; however, no proof was found and it was not noted on his records.^[6] At the age of 16 the school authorities undertook a review (which found his IQ was 64 and his mental age 9 years 6 months) and recommended his discharge.^[7]

[edit] Return to Bath

Accordingly Straffen returned home to Bath in March 1946 where the Medical Officer of Health examined him and found he still warranted certification under the Mental Deficiency Act. After several short term jobs he found a place as a machinist in a clothing factory. Early in 1947 Straffen began to go into unoccupied homes and steal small items to hide them; he never brought them home nor did he give them to others. Straffen was still very solitary and had started stealing without being enticed to by others.^[8]

[edit] Arrest for burglary

On 27 July 1947 a thirteen year old girl reported to police that a boy called John had assaulted her by putting his hand over her mouth and saying "What would you do if I killed you? I have done it before." This incident was not connected to Straffen until later. Six weeks after, Straffen was found to have strangled five chickens belonging to the father of a girl with whom he had quarrelled. When arrested Straffen was also under suspicion for burglary, and in interview cheerfully confessed to it and many other incidents to which he had not been connected. He was remanded in custody and the Medical Officer of Horfield prison examined him, certifying that he was feeble-minded. On 10 October Straffen was committed to Hortham Colony in Bristol under the Mental Deficiency Act 1913.^[9]

[edit] Hortham Colony

Hortham was an "open" colony which specialised in training mentally defective offenders for resettlement in the community. As he had been under investigation for burglary, Straffen's certificate stated that he was "not of violent or dangerous propensities". He was well-behaved at Hortham and kept away from other inmates. As a result, in July 1949 he was transferred to a lower-security agricultural hostel in Winchester. There he did well initially but fell back into old ways when he stole a bag of walnuts, and was sent back to Hortham in February 1950. In August 1950 Straffen got in trouble with Hortham authorities when he went home without leave, and resisted the police when they went to recapture him.^[10]

[edit] Reassessment of mental state

In 1951 Straffen was examined at a Bristol hospital, where electro-encephalograph readings showed that he had suffered "wide and severe damage to the cerebral cortex, probably from an attack of encephalitis in India before the age of six". By now however, Straffen was considered sufficiently rehabilitated to be allowed a period of unescorted home leave. He used the time to get a job at a market garden, which he was allowed to keep; Hortham licensed him to the care of his mother as the family home was less overcrowded. When Straffen's 21st birthday came, under the Mental Deficiency Act he had to be reassessed by Hortham, who continued his certificate for a further five years; the family disputed the assessment and appealed.^[11] As a result the Medical Officer of Health for Bath examined Straffen again on 10 July 1951 and found improvement in mental age to 10; he recommended that Straffen's certificate be renewed only for six months with a view to discharge at the end.^[12]

[edit] Murders

According to Letitia Fairfield in the introduction to the "Notable British Trials series" volume about Straffen, Straffen had a "smouldering hatred" and an "intense resentment" of the police, and blamed them for all his troubles from the age of eight. On the morning of Straffen's assessment, there occurred the murder by strangling of a girl from Windsor called Christine Butcher. Fairfield speculates that Straffen saw the press coverage that followed and made the connection that strangling young girls gave the maximum amount of trouble to the police.^[13]

[edit] Brenda Goddard

On Sunday 15 July 1951, Straffen went on a visit to the cinema, on his own. His route took him past 1 Camden Crescent in Bath, where lived the five year-old Brenda Goddard with her foster parents. According to Straffen's later statement to the police, he saw Brenda gathering flowers and offered to show her a better place. After lifting Brenda over a fence into a copse, he strangled her and when she did not scream, bashed her head against a stone. After killing Brenda Goddard, Straffen did not make any attempt to hide the body and simply went on to the cinema (the film was 'Shockproof') and returned home.^[14]

Although Bath police had not suspected Straffen was violent, he was considered a suspect in the murder and was seen by police on 3 August.^[15] Meanwhile the police had visited Straffen's employer to check on his movements; this resulted in Straffen being dismissed on 31 July.^[16] In a later interview with a prison psychiatrist, Straffen said that he knew he was under suspicion and wanted to annoy the police, because he hated them for shadowing him and following him about.^[17]

[edit] Cicely Batstone

On 8 August Straffen was again at the cinema when he met the nine year-old Cicely Batstone. He first took Cicely to a different cinema to see another film, and then went on the bus to a meadow known as "Tumps" on the outskirts of Bath. There he strangled Cicely to death.^[18] The circumstances of the murder left many witnesses who had seen Straffen with the girl: the bus conductor recognised Straffen as a former workmate, a courting couple in the meadow had seen Straffen very closely, and a policeman's wife had also seen the two together. She mentioned it to her husband; when the alarm was raised the next morning, she guided police to where she had seen the two and the body of Cicely Batstone was discovered. Her description of the man was enough to immediately identify Straffen as the suspect.^[19]

[edit] Arrest and trial for Bath murders

Accordingly the police drove to Straffen's home and arrested him for the murder of Cicely Batstone, on the morning of 9 August. Straffen made a statement admitting he had killed Cicely Batstone and also confessed to the murder of Brenda Goddard: "The other girl, I did her the same".^[20] He was duly charged with murder and remanded in custody;^[21] on 31 August after a two-day hearing at Bath Magistrates' Court Straffen was committed for trial for the murder of Brenda Goddard.^[22]

At Taunton Assize Court, on 17 October 1951 Straffen stood trial for murder before Mr Justice Oliver. However, the only witness to be heard was Dr Peter Parkes, medical officer at Horfield Prison, who testified to Straffen's medical history and stated his conclusion that Straffen was unfit to plead. The Judge commented that "In this country we do not try people who are insane. You might as well try a baby in arms. If a man cannot understand what is going on, he cannot be tried." The jury formally returned a verdict that Straffen was insane and unfit to plead.^[23]

[edit] Broadmoor escape

Straffen was removed to Broadmoor Institution in Berkshire. Broadmoor had originally been termed a criminal lunatic asylum, but by the Criminal Justice Act 1948 responsibility for it had been transferred to the Ministry of Health and those committed to it had been renamed patients.^[24] Inside Broadmoor, Straffen was given a job as a cleaner.

On April 29, 1952 Straffen went, with an attendant and another patient, to clean some outbuildings which were close by the 10ft tall external wall. In a small yard immediately adjacent to the wall was a low shed with a sloping roof which was 8½ft high at its highest point. In the yard were empty disinfectant tins. Straffen asked his superviser if he could shake his duster and on receiving permission went into the yard. Once the other patient had gone back in, Straffen climbed on to the roof and jumped over the wall. He had already made sure he had his civilian clothes under his work clothes.^[25]

[edit] Murder of Linda Bowyer

Only twenty minutes after escaping, Straffen came up a private drive in Crowthorne and approached Mrs Doris Spencer who was in her garden. He asked her for a drink of water, which she gave him, and then discussed the proximity of Broadmoor and the likelihood of escapes. After ten minutes he left.^[26] An hour and a half later he reached Farley Hill and at about five o'clock Straffen came to the point where Linda Bowyer, aged five years nine months, was riding her bicycle around the village. Within half an hour Linda Bowyer was no longer seen alive.^[27]

Straffen then begged a cup of tea from another householder, Mrs Kenyon, who agreed to drive him to the bus stop. As they were drawing up to the stop, Straffen saw some men in uniform and asked whether they were police; on learning that they were, he swiftly got out of the car and ran away. Mrs Kenyon told the men (who were actually Broadmoor nurses) of the suspicious behaviour of her passenger and Straffen was recaptured a few minutes later. Driven in the car on the journey back to Broadmoor, Straffen said "I have finished with crime". The body of Linda Bowyer was found at dawn next day.^[25]

[edit] Police investigation

Straffen was the obvious suspect for the murder and the police went to Broadmoor to interview him at 8 A.M., arriving before news of the disappearance and murder of a local child had reached. The police went to Straffen's room and woke him up, then asking him what he had done when he was free and whether he had got into mischief. Straffen replied "I did not kill her". The police Inspector told Straffen that no-one had suggested anyone had been killed, and Straffen said "I know what you policemen are, I know I killed two little children but I did not kill the little girl." The Inspector then confirmed that a girl had been killed near where Straffen was recaptured. Straffen said "I did not kill the little girl on the bicycle."^[25]

Straffen then made a long statement, which the police checked. On 1 May Straffen was charged with the murder of Linda Bowyer, and he appeared before Reading County Magistrates on 2 May. He was remanded in custody, and despite the fact of the Order committing him to Broadmoor, the Magistrates decided that since they had failed to hold him he should be remanded to Brixton Prison.^[28] The Ministry of Health meanwhile called for a full inquiry into how Straffen escaped;^[29] a group of local residents held a meeting on the same evening as Straffen's court appearance to call for some system of public warning of an escape.^[30] The Ministry of Health inquiry was extended to a full independent inquiry.^[31] A system of warning sirens was set up later in 1952 as a result of the inquiry recommendations.^[32]

[edit] Murder trial

When Straffen's murder trial opened on 21 July, the defendant caused some surprise by pleading "not guilty" and the Defence opted to leave the question of his sanity as an issue to be determined by the jury. After the prosecution case (led by the Solicitor-General, Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller) had opened and called the first witnesses to establish the facts about the murder of Linda Bowyer, they applied to call additional evidence about the two murders in Bath. This application was resisted by Straffen's defence as prejudicial, but the Judge ruled the evidence admissible.^[33]

On the second day, the Judge was late into court and explained that "owing to the alleged conduct of one of your members" he was compelled to discharge them and start again with a new jury. It turned out that one of the first set of jurors had gone to a political club in Southsea in the evening and told those present that he was on the jury for the Straffen case, that Straffen was not guilty, and that one of the prosecution witnesses had murdered Linda Bowyer.^[34] The Judge required the errant juror, William Gladwin to remain in court throughout the trial, before calling him to apologise for his "wicked discharge of your duties as a citizen".^[35]

The first day's proceedings were repeated before the second jury, followed, as permitted, by evidence of what had happened in Bath. Straffen's defence called several of those who had seen Straffen in earlier years and gave evidence of his mental condition. The prosecution then called prison medical officers and psychiatrists to give evidence in rebuttal. Dr Thomas Munro, who was a specialist in mental deficiency and had seen Straffen, told how Straffen had said that to murder was wrong because it was breaking the law and because "it is one of the commandments". When Dr Munro asked Straffen to name the other commandments, Straffen could not remember them all but did recite four.^[36]

[edit] Death Sentence

After a retirement of just under an hour, the Jury returned with a verdict of guilty, which implicitly declared that Straffen was sane. Mr Justice Cassels sentenced Straffen to death.^[37] Straffen appealed, on the grounds that the evidence about the Bath murders was wrongly admitted, and that his statements on the morning after the murder of Linda Bowyer were wrongly admitted because they had been made before he was cautioned. Both grounds of the appeal were dismissed,^[38] and Straffen was refused leave to appeal to the House of Lords.^[39] 4 September was fixed as the date for execution of judgment of death.^[40] However, on 29 August, it was announced that the Home Secretary David Maxwell Fyfe had recommended to the Queen that Straffen be reprieved.^[41]

[edit] Prison

After the reprieve, Straffen was moved to Wandsworth Prison. In November 1952, the Home Office denied a rumour that he was about to be moved to Rampton mental institution.^[42] In 1956, Straffen was moved to Horfield Prison in Bristol, after officers discovered an escape attempt by Wandsworth prisoners who intended to take Straffen with them as a diversion.^[43] The news caused extreme concern in Bristol and a petition demanding his removal was organised by a local councillor and signed by 12,000 people within weeks.^[44]

August 1958 saw Straffen moved to Cardiff Prison when the regime at Horfield Prison was changed to a more liberal one.^[45] However, he was reported to have been transferred back in June 1960.^[46]

[edit] Isle of Wight

A new 28-cell high security wing at Parkhurst Prison was built and ready for opening early in 1966. The Home Office pointedly did not deny rumours that Straffen had been secretly transferred there on 31 January 1966.^[47] He was the first to arrive, and was followed by six of the Great Train robbers.^[48]

[edit] Durham

In May 1968 Straffen was moved to Durham Prison.^[49] Placed on the top security E wing, Straffen was joined by child murderer Ian Brady. Crime author Jonathan Goodman wrote that "the shambling lunatic [Straffen] .. is in prison only because no mental institution is secure enough to guarantee his confinement".^[50] Many years later a prison officer recalled seeing Straffen "circling, banging the fence every couple of minutes", and that one fellow officer described Straffen as weirder than he looked: "Never talks unless he has to ask for something. Always on his own".^[51]

Straffen was still there in January 1984 when Kenneth Barlow was released after serving 26 years for murder, at which point he became the longest serving British prisoner.^[52]

[edit] Prison term

For most of the time that Straffen was in prison, the Home Secretary had to agree to the release of any life sentence prisoner; no occupant of the office was ever willing to let Straffen out. In 1994 Michael Howard decided to set up a select list of about 20 prisoners serving life sentences who must never be released at all, and Straffen's name was said to be on it.^[53] The whole list was published by the News of the World in December 1997 and this report confirmed that Straffen would indeed spend the rest of his life in prison.^[54]

The Sun newspaper profiled Straffen's prison life in March 2006, quoting an un-named inmate as saying "He's still lively. He works as a cleaner in the craft shop and makes tea for the officers. They treat him well, call him by his first name and often take time to chat with him." The inmate was also reported as saying that other inmates left Straffen alone but that he was instantly recognisable.^[55]

[edit] Hopes for freedom

With the fiftieth anniversary of Straffen's imprisonment approaching, in 2001 his solicitors called for his case to be reopened on the grounds that he was not fit to stand trial.^[56] Investigative journalist Bob Woffinden, who examined previously confidential records, uncovered that Straffen was reprieved after a majority of doctors who examined him found that he was 'insane'.^[57] Woffinden also doubted Straffen's guilt of the murder of Linda Bowyer, because Straffen had no fingernails with which to cause injuries seen on Linda Bowyer's body and because some local witnesses placed the time of the murder after his recapture.^[58] However, Straffen's application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission was turned down in December 2002.^[59]

In May 2002, the European Court of Human Rights decided a case brought by a life sentence prisoner which challenged the authority of the Home Secretary to refuse to release him after the Parole Board recommended he be freed. The Court decided that politicians should not interfere in life sentences and therefore current practice was unlawful. It was immediately noted that this meant an opportunity for release for Straffen,^[60] who had been in Long Lartin Prison since 2000.

[edit] Death

Straffen died at Frankland Prison in County Durham on 19 November 2007. He was 77 years old and had been in prison for a British record of 55 years.^[61]. At the time of Straffen's death, the European Court of Justice was (and still is) pending a decision on whether lifelong imprisonment should be outlawed as a violation of human rights.

[edit] External links

• Case details - Examines the possibility that Straffen was not guilty of the third murder

[edit] References