The trial of Alfred Moore opened at Leeds Assizes on 10th December 1951.
Leading for the prosecution was Mr. Raymond Hinchcliffe KC he being assisted by Mr. G.Norman Black , the recorder of Huddersfield. Mr. Harry Hylton - Foster KC led for the defence , assisted by his junior , Mr. C.R.Dean . ( Later to become a Judge).
The trial Judge was Mr. Justice Pearson , he was presiding at his first murder trial since being appointed to the bench of the High court.
I do not intend to bore people with the full ins and outs of the trial , and will therefore stick to the main body of evidence and discuss the salient points. The two main planks of the prosecution case were these , The timing of the setting up of the Police cordon around Moor's farm and the evidence by Police Constable Jagger , who at the time of the trial was deceased. His evidence had been written in a deposition recorded by a magistrate who sat at his Hospital bedside in the afternoon of the 15th July 1951. Part of that evidence was , that at an identification parade held at the Huddersfield Infirmary shortly before making his deposition that afternoon , Jagger , had picked out Moore from a nine man parade , as being the person who had shot himself and Inspector Fraser.
The prosecution would also offer evidence to the effect that the bullets (3 in all) recovered from the two Police officers were of 9mm calibre and were , in the normal course of events , for use with automatic hand guns . The Sten gun , used frequently by the military at that time also used 9mm ammunition. Three used 9mm cartridge cases were to be found in the farmhouse . A few days later a live 9mm round was found , under a pile of bricks near to the house !!
Of the bullets recovered from the two bodies , the ballistics expert of the time , said that markings on the bullets suggested that they were fired from a weapon , the barrel of which was larger than that of an automatic . In his opinion , they had been fired from a revolver . It was suggested that this weapon my have been in a state if disrepair.
A removal man by the name of Joe Baxter , who had helped Moore when he moved from an address in Huddersfield some three months earlier to Whinney close farm , would later say that when the wagon was being loaded at Moore's old address , he saw an old black tool box. This box was being put into the wagon when it dropped and the lid came off. As a result Baxter alleged that among the contents he saw a dilapidated revolver. On oath he said that it was a Luger revolver , he had had military training during the war , and knew what he was talking about , what he had seen was a Luger revolver.
In essence , that was the case against Alfred Moore and no doubt to those reading this latest information it will probably seem like the classic 'open and shut case' . Please do remember however , that a coin had two sides . Watch this space for further developments.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Saturday, 2 May 2009
The Trial Process
After several weeks of being remanded to Armley Prison Alfred Moore , was brought before the Huddersfield West Riding Magistrates Court on the 27th August 1951. After that hearing he was committed to stand trial at Leeds Assize court.
Everyone involved in the case had given evidence before the Magistrate Mr. Percy Crowther , one of the prosecution witnesses was Patricia Moore , who at the age of ten years was the elder of Alfred's daughters. She was not called as a witness at the Assize court. I have spoken at length with Pat , who is now in her late sixties , she has vivid memories of that Sunday morning. She told me that she was taken to the Police station in Huddersfield and kept there for about six hours , initially her mother was not with her , there was no Police woman to sit with her , just as she described it , ' Big burly Detectives'. She was bullied , threatened , called a lair and at times she was thrown about like a rag doll , until that is she agreed to say what her tormentors wanted her to say. She then gave a statement against her father Alfred , which she knew was not true.
I have seen a copy of that statement , usually as was the practice in those days , at the end of the statement is a record which shows the date it was taken , By whom it was taken , Persons present when the statement was made and the time. The time was usually shown as say , 'Between 10am and 10-30am ', and so on. It is worth noting that with regards to Pat's statement taken that day , it bears no date , and does not show between what times it was made. It does not show in who's presence it was made and is signed by a Chief Inspector Edington. The Police were so desperate to get a conviction , they intended to use a ten year old , terrified little girl to help them do so. The statement she gave , was not true and parts of the untruth can be easily recognised as it contradicts evidence given by experienced Police officers at the trial.
Everyone involved in the case had given evidence before the Magistrate Mr. Percy Crowther , one of the prosecution witnesses was Patricia Moore , who at the age of ten years was the elder of Alfred's daughters. She was not called as a witness at the Assize court. I have spoken at length with Pat , who is now in her late sixties , she has vivid memories of that Sunday morning. She told me that she was taken to the Police station in Huddersfield and kept there for about six hours , initially her mother was not with her , there was no Police woman to sit with her , just as she described it , ' Big burly Detectives'. She was bullied , threatened , called a lair and at times she was thrown about like a rag doll , until that is she agreed to say what her tormentors wanted her to say. She then gave a statement against her father Alfred , which she knew was not true.
I have seen a copy of that statement , usually as was the practice in those days , at the end of the statement is a record which shows the date it was taken , By whom it was taken , Persons present when the statement was made and the time. The time was usually shown as say , 'Between 10am and 10-30am ', and so on. It is worth noting that with regards to Pat's statement taken that day , it bears no date , and does not show between what times it was made. It does not show in who's presence it was made and is signed by a Chief Inspector Edington. The Police were so desperate to get a conviction , they intended to use a ten year old , terrified little girl to help them do so. The statement she gave , was not true and parts of the untruth can be easily recognised as it contradicts evidence given by experienced Police officers at the trial.
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