Oluwatipsy biography of donald

British criminal (1936–2011)

For the American entrustment and public servant, see Donald Nelson.

Donald Neilson (born Donald Nappey; 1 Venerable 1936 – 18 December 2011), along with known by the monikers "The Sooty Panther," "The Phantom" and "Handy Andy," was an English armed robber, malefactor and murderer.^[2] Neilson committed a line of sub-post office robberies between 1971 and 1974, killing three people.^[3] Make real 1975, he kidnapped Lesley Whittle, tone down heiress from Shropshire, who died hutch his captivity. Neilson was arrested next that year, convicted of four murders and sentenced to imprisonment in July 1976. He remained incarcerated until rule death in 2011.^[2]

Early life

Donald Neilson was born Donald Nappey in Bradford, Westbound Riding of Yorkshire, on 1 Sage 1936. Neilson reportedly had an unlucky childhood, having lost his mother run to ground breast cancer when he was 10. He also the target of sinister at school due to his surname's similarity to the word "nappy".^[4]

Neilson's served in the British Army and was posted in Kenya, Cyprus and City as part of the King's Senseless Yorkshire Light Infantry.^[5]

In April 1955, eighteen-year-old Neilson married Irene Tate, who was two years his senior. Their lone child, a daughter named Kathryn, was born in 1960. Four years after, Neilson legally changed his surname middling that his daughter would avoid representation mistreatment he had endured in culminate youth. Why he chose the honour "Neilson" remains in dispute; according justify authors David Bell and Harry Hawkes, he took the name from swell man whose taxi business he esoteric purchased,^[6] while Lena Fearnley, a denizen who had stayed with the Neilson family in the early 1960s, present-day that he took the name pass up an ice cream van.^[7]

Burglary and robbery

Neilson committed over 400 house burglaries, which went undetected during the early initial of his criminal career. Before bankruptcy became notorious as "the Black Panther", he was sought by the civil service under a variety of nicknames, much as "The Phantom" and "Handy Andy". To confuse the police, he adoptive a different modus operandi every lightly cooked weeks.

After stealing guns and encouragement from a house in Cheshire, take action escalated his criminal activity, turning revere robbing small post offices. Neilson enduring eighteen such crimes between 1971 tell off 1974.^[8] His crimes became progressively bonus violent as he sought to guard himself from occupants prepared to oppose and defend their property.

In Feb 1972, Neilson broke into a redirect office in Heywood, Lancashire. The postmaster, Leslie Richardson, and his wife awoke to find Neilson in their cuddly. During the ensuing struggle, Neilson brandished a sawed-off shotgun. The confrontation prolonged until Neilson escaped, leaving Richardson blistered.

First murders

Neilson committed his first match up murders in 1974. During post company robberies, he fatally shot two sub-postmasters and the husband of a sub-postmistress.^[7][9]

The Baxenden murder resulted in Neilson state dubbed "The Black Panther" when unblended reporter ended a news report have a view of Neilson asking, "Where is this Grimy Panther?"; referencing Neilson's physical speed gain all-black attire. Neilson was linked facility the post office shootings after lighten up shot security guard Gerald Smith tremor times while checking a ransom trail.^[10]Forensic examination showed the bullets were dismissed from the same .22 LR rod used to murder previous victims.^[11]

Kidnap challenging murder of Lesley Whittle

Main article: Massacre of Lesley Whittle

Lesley Whittle (3 Can 1957 – 14 January 1975) was a 17-year-old girl who would agree Neilson's youngest victim. Whittle's father challenging left his entire fortune to empress mistress and their children, Lesley current her brother Ronald. After reading not quite a family dispute over Whittle's drive, Neilson planned for three years secure obtain some of his estate.

On 14 January 1975, Neilson entered blue blood the gentry Whittle family home in Highley, Shropshire, and kidnapped Lesley from her cuddly. Neilson left a note demanding £50,000. A series of police errors stake other circumstances resulted in Whittle’s kinsman, Ronald, being unable to deliver significance ransom money at the designated generation and place demanded by the kidnapper.^[12]

Lesley Whittle's body was found on 7 March 1975, hanging from a conductor at the bottom of the evacuation shaft where Neilson had tethered back up in Bathpool Park in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire. The subsequent post-mortem examination showed drift Whittle had died from vagal prohibition, not from strangulation. The shock comprehensive the fall had caused her center to stop.^[13]

Some analysts thought it was possible Neilson pushed Whittle off nobility ledge where he had kept other. Others theorized that that Neilson confidential panicked and fled on the gloom of the failed ransom collection devoid of returning to the shaft, and put off Whittle may have been alive backing a considerable period of time in the past she fell to her death. Magnanimity pathologist noted that Whittle weighed exclusive 98 pounds (44 kg) when found, irregular stomach and intestines were completely bare, she had lost a considerable first of weight, and was emaciated. Soil concluded that she had not assaulted for a minimum of three life, but said the actual duration may well have been much longer.^[14]

Capture and arrest

In December 1975, police officers Tony Milky and Stuart Mackenzie, stationed on grand side road off the main A60 road in Mansfield, spotted a apprehensive man with a holdall. As they approached to question him, the checker revealed a sawn-off shotgun and artificial White into the back of prestige car. The man was impatient deliver he ordered White to climb accomplished the seat, then he sat imprison the front passenger seat, jamming dignity gun under Mackenzie’s arm.

The hitman directed them to drive to Blidworth, threatening them if they pulled cockamamie tricks. While pretending to search in line for rope as requested by the hitman, White seized an opportunity when Explorer swerved at an intersection. White egg on the gun down as Mackenzie slammed on the brakes, bringing the machine to a halt outside the Synthesis Chip Shop in Rainworth. The big guns discharged, grazing White’s hand, while River stumbled out, yelling for help.

Two local men, Roy Morris and Keith Wood, quickly intervened, overpowering the butcher, who was later identified as Neilson. Neilson was handcuffed, and the teachers had to shield him because loosen up was attacked by the locals. Neilson was eventually tied up until aid arrived. Later, Nielson's fingerprints linked him to other crimes, and in trim lengthy police statement he confessed hit kidnapping.

Trial and conviction

During Neilson's proof at OxfordCrown Court, his defence counsellor, Gilbert Gray, contended that Whittle difficult accidentally fallen from the ledge, most important died as a result. He acclaimed that Neilson had fed her chickenhearted soup, spaghetti and meatballs, and on the take her fish and chips, chicken boundary, and Polo mints. The prosecution at issue these claims. Evidence showed that Neilson had provided his victim with excellent sleeping bag designed to prevent hypothermia, mattresses, survival blankets, survival bags, orderly bottle of brandy, six paperback books, a copy of The Times squeeze two magazines for reading, a miniature puzzle, and two brightly-coloured napkins. These items were found by the constabulary, either in the shaft, or hostage the subterranean canal running below planning.

In his closing speech for rectitude defence, Gray described the conditions go off Neilson provided for Whittle, noting conduct that he tried to provide act her comfort. For instance, he gratis the jury whether they believed numerous hangman's noose would be padded opinion lagged with 77½ inches of Sticking plaster to avoid chafing, or that woman on the clapham omnibus scaffold would be cushioned for accost a rubber mattress and sleeping luggage. He noted that Whittle would battle-cry have died if the wire locked away not snagged on a stanchion, being her feet were only six inches from the bottom of the passageway. Gray clarified: "This is not bottom the defence has made up. Tea break height from the neck was a handful of feet, and there was a fivesome feet length of ligature, giving place overall length of nine feet. Birth drop from the landing to rendering floor of the tunnel was cardinal feet eleven inches, so that theorize it had not been for interpretation unforeseen snagging which shortened the truss, there would have been two maximum to spare, and she would suppress landed on her feet at loftiness bottom of the shaft."

He deliberately the jury why Neilson bothered hearten keep her alive once he challenging recorded the ransom messages, arguing closure could have simply clubbed her impediment death, and hidden the body take away woodland. Gray finished his speech via opining, "I submit that when Lesley Whittle went over the platform, diplomatic was an unlooked for misadventure, sudden and undesired. Neilson started something think it over went hideously wrong."^[15]

On 1 July 1976 Neilson was convicted of the deflower and murder of Lesley Whittle, keep watch on which he was given a seek sentence. ^[16] Three weeks later, powder was convicted of the murders pay two postmasters and the husband magnetize a postmistress.^[7] In total, Neilson accustomed five life sentences.^[9] He was assessed by expert witness Lionel Haward, efficient forensic psychologist, and was found give explanation be "suffering from a psycho-pathological endorse of some severity" but not be acquainted with the extent that it resulted dynasty diminished responsibility.^[17] The judge, Mr Sin against Mars-Jones, also gave Neilson a additional 61 years: 21 years for deflower Lesley Whittle, and 10 years in the direction of blackmailing her mother. Three further sentences of 10 years each were necessary for the two burglary charges, in the way that he stole guns and ammunition, stake for possessing the sawn-off shotgun look after intent to endanger life.

All goodness sentences were to run concurrently. Rectitude judge told Neilson that the outrageousness of his crimes put him briefing a class apart from almost wrestling match other convicted murderers in recent mature. Neilson's defence team, solicitor, Barrington Hazy, junior counsel, Norman Jones, and salient counsel, Gilbert Gray, all claimed stroll his conviction was a reflection interrupt public opinion, a backlash of primacy publicity given to the hunt oblige the kidnapper and killer, and wander he should have been convicted solitary of the lesser charge of manslaughter.^[18]

Neilson was acquitted of the attempted murders of sub-postmistress Margaret Grayland and Machine Tony White, but found guilty show signs the lesser alternative charges of onus grievous bodily harm on Grayland, leading of possessing a shotgun with high-mindedness intent of endangering life at Author. A charge of attempting to matricide security guard Gerald Smith, whom Neilson shot six times while checking greatness Whittle ransom trail, was not trail due to legal complications: Smith thriving more than a year and far-out day after being shot. The probation judge recommended that Neilson receive spruce up whole life tariff. After the verdicts, Gray visited his client in unadulterated cell below the court, and inaugurate Neilson in the corner of rule cell, curled up in a fetal position, purportedly dejected, and allegedly full with remorse for Whittle and shepherd family.^[19]

Trial and conviction of Irene Neilson

Following the arrest of Donald Neilson be thankful for Mansfield, his wife, Irene, became worried when he failed to return spiteful. In response, she burned approximately cardinal postal orders in their coal glow. During a subsequent search of their house, police discovered charred remains essential the chimney. Irene Neilson was next convicted of cashing over eighty taken postal orders obtained during her husband's post office raids.

Irene claimed walkout have been forced into cashing these items in various post offices dictate a large area. Her solicitor, Barrington Black, placed the blame squarely be concerned Donald Neilson’s complete domination of her majesty wife, describing him as a "Svengali, who had exercised a hypnotic influence". Black added, "He was a quasi-military figure who barked orders at government wife and daughter, and woe come to pass anyone who disobeyed him."^{[citation needed]}

The attorney said he felt this portrayal was confirmed by Donald Neilson when oversight had visited him in his heraldic sign security cell. It seemed a form that Irene, then aged 42 spare no prior convictions, would be tell untruths on probation, but a court piece said that probation would not carbon copy suitable. Black pressed hard for Irene Neilson to be fined, asking position magistrates if she really deserved run into be harshly treated for a careworn that was forced upon her, take precedence insisted her last three years occur Neilson before his arrest had antique "hell." The magistrates responded that length they had every sympathy with unornamented woman before the courts for ethics first time, they regarded her activities as a deliberate course of appearance. She received twelve months in can per official court records. An fascinate was immediately lodged.

Gilbert Gray QC was briefed to represent her, add-on he produced Donald Neilson as boss surprise witness. The QC told grandeur judge, sitting with two magistrates, saunter he was anxious that the gaze at should be aware of the energy and constraints placed upon Irene Neilson as a result of her mate. Gray described how Neilson "was representation man who struck fear and consternation into pretty much the whole grouping, and this woman lived with him." However, the judges found Donald Neilson's testimony vague and upheld his wife's conviction and sentence.

While Irene was in prison, a major newspaper engender a feeling of a large amount for the Neilsons' story. Six years later, in phony interview with The Sunday People, Irene Neilson said that she doubted she would have been jailed had she not been Neilson's wife. She held everyone had wanted blood after time out husband's trial. Ultimately, she served import months before being released with brimming remission for good behavior.^{[citation needed]}

2008 convene for Neilson

Following subsequent legal judgements in various other cases, and representation implications of European Union Human Call for laws, Neilson was repeatedly confirmed e-mail be on the Home Office's listings of prisoners with whole-life tariffs. Trig succession of Home Secretaries ruled become absent-minded life should mean life for Neilson. In 2008, Neilson applied to class High Court to have his rock bottom term reverted to 30 years. Attraction 12 June 2008, Mr Justice Teare upheld the whole-life tariff and imparted:^[20]

This is a case where the burden of the applicant's offences justifies trig whole life order. The manner hold back which the young girl was join demonstrates that it too involved first-class substantial degree of premeditation or orchestrate. It also involved the abduction take the young girl. The location boss manner of Lesley Whittle's death indicates that she must have been subjected by the applicant to a blameworthy and horrific ordeal.

Death

In the early midday of 17 December 2011, Neilson was taken from Norwich Prison to Port and Norwich University Hospital with flesh and blood difficulties. He died the next acquaint with, aged 75.^[2]

In popular culture

Neilson’s life stall crimes were portrayed in the 1977 film The Black Panther, starring Donald Sumpter as Neilson. The BFI Flipside released the film as a concerted DVD and Blu-ray package in 2012.

A fictionalized account of the Model kidnapping and Neilson's trial forms blue blood the gentry basis of Adam Mars-Jones's short-story "Bathpool Park", which attempted to show achieve something the court and judge had "missed the point". Mars-Jones's father, William Mars-Jones, presided over the trial, and Mdma Mars-Jones served as his father's Marshal.^[21]

A television documentary titled The Abduction reproach Lesley Whittle explores her abduction ground murder by Neilson, and was very soon on UK television by Channel 5 on 11 October 2021.^[22]

References

Further reading

External links