Brian Thomas Horsfall

Brian Thomas Horsfall was found dead on a heap of ashes near a disused hut, 20B Block, in Hamilton Barracks, Lanarkshire on Tuesday night 11 April 1950, shortly after 9pm, with a piece of rope tied around his neck.

He was found partly concealed below a piece of linoleum.

A 35-year-old Czechoslovakian woman was tried for his murder but acquitted. She was the wife of a Scottish regular soldier who was serving in Hong Kong at the time. They had three children.

Brian Horsfall's post mortem showed that some violence had been used on him, but the two doctors that carried it out said that they could not determine whether or not his death was accidental or otherwise.

Before the woman was arrested on suspicion of Brian Horsfall's murder a police detective said that they were not prepared to wipe out the theory that his death was the result of a childish prank.

Brian Horsfall had gone missing at 6.15pm on Tuesday 11 April 1950 and was found in 20B Block, which was about 100 yards from the married quarters by his father, a 23-year-old private.

He was seen by a woman between about 6.10pm and 6.15pm who said that she had helped Brian Horsfall upstairs to the veranda on the evening that he disappeared and left him at her door and told him to go along to his mother's house.

His mother said that when she saw him leave the house he was in the company of a neighbour's child and was heading off towards a nearby football field. When his mother was later asked how fast Brian Horsfall could walk, she said that he had been named 'Quicksilver' because he could get about on his feet. She said that he had been able to walk since he was nine months old.

No one seemed to have seen Brian Horsfall since 6.15pm and when his body was found.

During the search, Brian Horsfall's mother said that she was told that Brian Horsfall was playing at the close, but that she failed to find him and a search of the barracks was then made. She said that when she called at the house of the Czechoslovakian woman her 12-year-old son came to the door and that she asked him if he had seen Brian Horsfall. She said that he smiled and said that that hurt her because the rest of the children were running around like mad looking for him. She said that he then told her that if she went to the police station that they would be able to help her find her baby.

She said that she and the Czechoslovakian woman were very friendly.  She said that until the Czechoslovakian woman was arrested that they had continued to be on friendly terms, saying that there was nothing suspicious about her manner. When she was asked whether there was anything suspicious about the Czechoslovakian woman's manner, she said, ''Nothing at all. She was kind and sympathetic to me. She kept putting her arm around me'.

During the initial investigation the police interviewed all occupants of the barracks. Hamilton Barracks was known as the 'Old Kitchen'.

Earlier on in the investigation into Brian Horsfall's disappearance on the Friday 14 April 1950, Lanark County detectives investigating the case said that they were of the opinion that Brian Horsfall's death was due to an accident or to misadventure and closed their inquiries.

However, the Czechoslovakian woman was arrested two days later early on Sunday morning 16 April 1950 following fresh enquiries. She was then charged that on 11 April 1950 that she assaulted Brian Horsfall and with her hands or with a rope or by other means compressed his throat and asphyxiated him and 'did murder him'. She denied the charge.

Brian Horsfall's mother said that she searched a certain recess between two huts during her initial search but didn't see his body there at that time. However, his body was later found there indicating that someone else had placed him there after he was first found missing.

At the trial on Wednesday 28 June 1950 the Czechoslovakian woman's 12-year-old son gave evidence stating that on 11 April 1950 he went to the pictures at about 6.30pm and that before he left he saw his mother getting his two little sisters ready for bed. He said that he didn't see Brian Horsfall in the house that night. When the boy was cross-examined at the trial about whether or not he had seen Brian Horsfall in the house, he said that he was quite certain.

It was heard that he had earlier said that Brian Horsfall had been in the house. When he was cross-examined, he said, 'I was confused. At the police station they kept saying that Brian had been seen going into my house. I said, No, no', but they kept on saying he had been seen. After a while I said I thought he was in the house, but I am not sure'.

A woman that new the Czechoslovakian woman said, 'According to what I saw, she was a model mother'.

The Czechoslovakian woman had had an interpreter with her at the trial. It was heard that although she understood English, she was unacquainted with legal procedure.

The Czechoslovakian woman was then cleared after after her son stated at the trial that he had not seen Brian Horsfall in the house and the prosecutor said that he didn't have sufficient evidence to continue and the case against her was dropped.

After the prosecution dropped the case, the judge said that he thought that it was right and proper that the evidence surrounding the death of Brian Horsfall should have been made public in trial. However, he added that he thought that the prosecution, the Advocate-Depute, was very wise in stating that there was not sufficient evidence to proceed with the case and that the charge was being abandoned.

After the case was dropped the Czechoslovakian woman was immediately released from the dock.

Brian Horsfall was buried at Dalbeth Cemetery in Glasgow on Friday 14 April 1950. He was his parents only child.