Malcolm Morris
Encyclopedia
For the dermatologist, see Sir Malcolm Morris (1847-1924)
Malcolm Morris QC
(died October 1972) was a British
lawyer
. He was involved in many high-profile cases, such as the prosecutions of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams
and pop star Mick Jagger
, and the defence of Timothy Evans
.
in 1937. In 1950 Morris, aided by Evelyn Russell, defended Timothy Evans
, a poorly educated van driver who was charged with the murder of his baby. Evans was the tenant of serial killer
John Christie
, and though "Evans kept insisting it was Christie who did it [...] Morris thought it unlikely that they would succeed in pinning it on the neighbour" and so this route was not pursued in court. Evans was eventually found guilty and hanged but it is now generally accepted by the public, experts and the Crown itself that Christie murdered Beryl and Geraldine Evans. Evans was one of the first victims of a miscarriage of justice
. The case was important for leading to the abolition of capital punishment
in the UK in 1965.
Reginald Manningham-Buller
's team that prosecuted suspected serial killer
Dr John Bodkin Adams
. Adams was accused of killing Edith Alice Morrell
but was acquitted. He was thought, however, by Home Office
pathologist Francis Camps
to have killed 163 of his wealthy patients. Historian Pamela Cullen has claimed that the case against Adams was hindered by a lack of care and attention on the part of the prosecution and by meddling from the government of the time, who for political reasons did not want a doctor to be hanged for murder - the sentence that a conviction would have received. She has claimed that vital evidence was handed to the defence in order for the prosecution to pretend to be caught unprepared during the trial. Two years later in 1959, Morris was promoted to Queen's Counsel
.
In 1965 he was made a Master of the Bench
. Two years later in 1967 Morris prosecuted Mick Jagger
and Keith Richards
on possession of illegal drugs charges. The case highlighted the differences in British society between the generations, such as when Morris asked Richards whether he would agree that, "in the ordinary course of events, you would expect a young woman to be embarrassed if she had nothing on but a fur rug in the presence of eight men, two of whom were hangers-on and another a Moroccan servant?" Richard replied "Not at all". Morris pressed him, "You regard that, do you, as quite normal?", to which the answer came, "We are not old men [...] We’re not worried about petty morals." Morris won the case and both defendants received relatively harsh sentences, but Jagger's 3-month sentence was later reduced on appeal to a 12-month probation
, and Richards' 12-month imprisonment was overturned completely. In Christopher Sandford
's biography of Jagger, the pair's lawyer Michael Havers
claimed he was told by Morris before the appeal that Morris had had "direct instructions" from above not to oppose the appeal. The sentences had attracted a lot of criticism in the press.
In 1971 Morris defended armed robber John McVicar
, on trial for escaping from prison while already serving a 23-year sentence. 3 more years were added onto the sentence, but McVicar was glad that it hadn't been upgraded to a life sentence. A chapter ("Plea") in McVicar's autobiography McVicar by Himself is written as a letter to Morris, persuading Morris to believe in his client's worth. At the time, Morris was already in poor health.
and MI6. They had two children, Rupert (born 9 December 1951) and Laura (born 31 August 1953).
Morris died in October 1972, aged 59.
in a 1970 film based on John Christie's serial murders, 10 Rillington Place. Christie was played by Richard Attenbrough.
Malcolm Morris QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(died October 1972) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. He was involved in many high-profile cases, such as the prosecutions of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster and suspected serial killer. Between the years 1946 and 1956, more than 160 of his patients died in suspicious circumstances. Of these, 132 left him money or items in their will. He was tried and acquitted for...
and pop star Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, and the defence of Timothy Evans
Timothy Evans
Timothy John Evans was a Welshman accused of murdering his wife and daughter at their residence in Notting Hill, London in November 1949. In January 1950 Evans was tried and convicted of the murder of his daughter, and he was sentenced to death by hanging...
.
Career
Morris was called to the bar by the Inner TempleInner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1937. In 1950 Morris, aided by Evelyn Russell, defended Timothy Evans
Timothy Evans
Timothy John Evans was a Welshman accused of murdering his wife and daughter at their residence in Notting Hill, London in November 1949. In January 1950 Evans was tried and convicted of the murder of his daughter, and he was sentenced to death by hanging...
, a poorly educated van driver who was charged with the murder of his baby. Evans was the tenant of serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
John Christie
John Reginald Halliday Christie
John Reginald Halliday Christie , born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, was a notorious English serial killer active in the 1940s and '50s. He murdered at least eight females – including his wife Ethel – by strangling them in his flat at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, London...
, and though "Evans kept insisting it was Christie who did it [...] Morris thought it unlikely that they would succeed in pinning it on the neighbour" and so this route was not pursued in court. Evans was eventually found guilty and hanged but it is now generally accepted by the public, experts and the Crown itself that Christie murdered Beryl and Geraldine Evans. Evans was one of the first victims of a miscarriage of justice
Miscarriage of justice
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
. The case was important for leading to the abolition of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
in the UK in 1965.
Dr John Bodkin Adams
In 1957 Morris was junior prosecutor in Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Reginald Manningham-Buller
Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne
Reginald Edward Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne PC, QC , known as Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller, Bt, from 1954 to 1962 and as The Lord Dilhorne from 1962 to 1964, was an English lawyer and Conservative politician...
's team that prosecuted suspected serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Dr John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster and suspected serial killer. Between the years 1946 and 1956, more than 160 of his patients died in suspicious circumstances. Of these, 132 left him money or items in their will. He was tried and acquitted for...
. Adams was accused of killing Edith Alice Morrell
Edith Alice Morrell
Edith Alice Morrell , was a resident of Eastbourne and patient of the suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams. He was tried for her murder in 1957 but acquitted...
but was acquitted. He was thought, however, by Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
pathologist Francis Camps
Francis Camps
Francis Edward Camps, FRCP, FRCpath was a famous English pathologist notable for his work on the cases of serial killer John Christie and suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams.-Early life and training:...
to have killed 163 of his wealthy patients. Historian Pamela Cullen has claimed that the case against Adams was hindered by a lack of care and attention on the part of the prosecution and by meddling from the government of the time, who for political reasons did not want a doctor to be hanged for murder - the sentence that a conviction would have received. She has claimed that vital evidence was handed to the defence in order for the prosecution to pretend to be caught unprepared during the trial. Two years later in 1959, Morris was promoted to Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
In 1965 he was made a Master of the Bench
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
. Two years later in 1967 Morris prosecuted Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
on possession of illegal drugs charges. The case highlighted the differences in British society between the generations, such as when Morris asked Richards whether he would agree that, "in the ordinary course of events, you would expect a young woman to be embarrassed if she had nothing on but a fur rug in the presence of eight men, two of whom were hangers-on and another a Moroccan servant?" Richard replied "Not at all". Morris pressed him, "You regard that, do you, as quite normal?", to which the answer came, "We are not old men [...] We’re not worried about petty morals." Morris won the case and both defendants received relatively harsh sentences, but Jagger's 3-month sentence was later reduced on appeal to a 12-month probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, and Richards' 12-month imprisonment was overturned completely. In Christopher Sandford
Christopher Sandford
Christopher Sandford of Eye Manor, Herefordshire, was a book designer, proprietor of the Golden Cockerel Press, a founding director of the Folio Society, and husband of the wood engraver and pioneer Corn dolly revivalist, Lettice Sandford, née Mackintosh Rate.-Biography:He was born in Cork,...
's biography of Jagger, the pair's lawyer Michael Havers
Michael Havers, Baron Havers
Robert Michael Oldfield Havers, Baron Havers PC, QC was a British barrister and Conservative politician. From his knighthood in 1972 until becoming a peer in 1987 he was known as Sir Michael Havers.- Early life :...
claimed he was told by Morris before the appeal that Morris had had "direct instructions" from above not to oppose the appeal. The sentences had attracted a lot of criticism in the press.
In 1971 Morris defended armed robber John McVicar
John McVicar
John McVicar is a British journalist and one-time convicted armed robber.-Career:In the 1960s, he was an armed robber who was tagged "Public Enemy No. 1" by Scotland Yard. He was apprehended and given a 23-year jail sentence. He escaped from prison on several occasions and after his final...
, on trial for escaping from prison while already serving a 23-year sentence. 3 more years were added onto the sentence, but McVicar was glad that it hadn't been upgraded to a life sentence. A chapter ("Plea") in McVicar's autobiography McVicar by Himself is written as a letter to Morris, persuading Morris to believe in his client's worth. At the time, Morris was already in poor health.
Family
In July 1949 Morris married Betty Rene Russ, who worked for MI5MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
and MI6. They had two children, Rupert (born 9 December 1951) and Laura (born 31 August 1953).
Morris died in October 1972, aged 59.
In popular culture
Morris was played by Robert HardyRobert Hardy
Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...
in a 1970 film based on John Christie's serial murders, 10 Rillington Place. Christie was played by Richard Attenbrough.