Podmore case
Encyclopedia
The Podmore case was a controversial landmark British
criminal case. It involved a murder conviction based on a painstaking police investigation, and from careful evaluation of the forensic evidence.
; the garage was used as a storeroom by the local agent of the Wolf's Head Oil Company, and the body was identified as that of the agent, Vivian Messiter, who had been missing for some time.
The victim was reported as missing for nine weeks prior to his body's discovery, and while police had checked the garage, they did not pursue the matter thoroughly since they found it locked. It was only when a new oil company agent came to take over the garage when it was opened and the body discovered.
Preliminary examination of the body revealed a puncture over the left eye, which led police to think that Messiter had been shot, but further examination by Sir Bernard Spilsbury
indicated that the real cause of death was multiple severe blunt force trauma to the skull, so much so that "it was fractured everywhere except on top". The examination of the crime scene further revealed the presence of extensive blood splatter to the height of several feet, which meant that the man had been murdered in the same location.
A bloodstained hammer was found near the scene, and upon examination Spilsbury found a hair consistent with that of the eyebrow hair of the dead man. And since the wounds on the victim were also consistent with the hammer, it was Spilbury's conclusion that the hammer, wielded with great force, was the murder weapon.
building contractor who had disappeared after allegedly absconding with a large number of wage packets.
Detectives assigned to the case next went to the lodgings where "Mr. Thomas" had stayed before his disappearance. Apparently his departure was so hurried that he negligently left many clues behind. From these the police were able to determine that "William Thomas" was an alias for one William Henry Podmore, who was known to police, being wanted for a charge of fraud in Manchester
. Suspicion immediately fell on him, and he was subsequently brought in for questioning.
It was determined that Podmore did indeed work as Messiter's assistant, but as the police still did not have enough information to support a murder charge, he was initially convicted for six months for the earlier charge of fraud.
In the meantime, a breakthrough in the case came with the careful examination of a receipt book for oil sale commissions. Based on a study of indentations between the lines of a genuine receipt made by pencilled writing on the sheet above—which had been torn out—it was determined that Podmore had been reporting to Messiter sales of oil to non-existent customers, and collecting commissions on these sales. Police theorized that upon learning of this, Messiter had confronted Podmore about the swindle, whereupon Podmore, being aware of the Manchester charge, had lost his nerve and murdered him with the hammer.
Assizes
. Because it was obvious that Messiter had still been repeatedly battered with the hammer even when unconscious, public opinion was overwhelmingly against Podmore. While the hair evidence was played up by the media, it was only part of a painstaking police investigation although it unquestionably identified the murder weapon. Of greater importance was the receipt book, as well the testimony of two fellow prisoners of Podmore who stated that he had confessed in their presence.
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...
criminal case. It involved a murder conviction based on a painstaking police investigation, and from careful evaluation of the forensic evidence.
The crime
On 10 January 1929, two men found the decomposing, rat-bitten body of a man behind some boxes in a locked garage in SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
; the garage was used as a storeroom by the local agent of the Wolf's Head Oil Company, and the body was identified as that of the agent, Vivian Messiter, who had been missing for some time.
The victim was reported as missing for nine weeks prior to his body's discovery, and while police had checked the garage, they did not pursue the matter thoroughly since they found it locked. It was only when a new oil company agent came to take over the garage when it was opened and the body discovered.
Preliminary examination of the body revealed a puncture over the left eye, which led police to think that Messiter had been shot, but further examination by Sir Bernard Spilsbury
Bernard Spilsbury
Sir Bernard Henry Spilsbury was an English pathologist. His cases include Hawley Harvey Crippen, the Seddon case and Major Armstrong poisonings, the "brides in the bath" murders by George Joseph Smith, Louis Voisin, Jean-Pierre Vaquier, the Crumbles murders, Norman Thorne, Donald Merrett, the...
indicated that the real cause of death was multiple severe blunt force trauma to the skull, so much so that "it was fractured everywhere except on top". The examination of the crime scene further revealed the presence of extensive blood splatter to the height of several feet, which meant that the man had been murdered in the same location.
A bloodstained hammer was found near the scene, and upon examination Spilsbury found a hair consistent with that of the eyebrow hair of the dead man. And since the wounds on the victim were also consistent with the hammer, it was Spilbury's conclusion that the hammer, wielded with great force, was the murder weapon.
The hunt
Among the papers that were found was a reply to an advertisement for local agents, signed "William F. Thomas". In pursuing this lead the police were able to discover that a man of that name had worked for a WiltshireWiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
building contractor who had disappeared after allegedly absconding with a large number of wage packets.
Detectives assigned to the case next went to the lodgings where "Mr. Thomas" had stayed before his disappearance. Apparently his departure was so hurried that he negligently left many clues behind. From these the police were able to determine that "William Thomas" was an alias for one William Henry Podmore, who was known to police, being wanted for a charge of fraud in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Suspicion immediately fell on him, and he was subsequently brought in for questioning.
It was determined that Podmore did indeed work as Messiter's assistant, but as the police still did not have enough information to support a murder charge, he was initially convicted for six months for the earlier charge of fraud.
In the meantime, a breakthrough in the case came with the careful examination of a receipt book for oil sale commissions. Based on a study of indentations between the lines of a genuine receipt made by pencilled writing on the sheet above—which had been torn out—it was determined that Podmore had been reporting to Messiter sales of oil to non-existent customers, and collecting commissions on these sales. Police theorized that upon learning of this, Messiter had confronted Podmore about the swindle, whereupon Podmore, being aware of the Manchester charge, had lost his nerve and murdered him with the hammer.
Resolution
While in prison on the fraud charge, Podmore confessed that he had stolen money from Mitchell. This was reported to the authorities and he was arrested immediately on his release from Winchester prison and sentenced to a further six months. During this second term of imprisonment he again spoke to fellow prisoners about the murder. Consequently, fourteen months after the murder, the police deemed that they now had enough evidence to put Podmore on trial for murder, on March 1930 at WinchesterWinchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
Assizes
Assizes
Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to::;in common law countries :::*assizes , an obsolete judicial inquest...
. Because it was obvious that Messiter had still been repeatedly battered with the hammer even when unconscious, public opinion was overwhelmingly against Podmore. While the hair evidence was played up by the media, it was only part of a painstaking police investigation although it unquestionably identified the murder weapon. Of greater importance was the receipt book, as well the testimony of two fellow prisoners of Podmore who stated that he had confessed in their presence.