Charles McConnell

Charles McConnell was found dead in his bed at the Aylesbury National Service Hostel in Aylesbury on Sunday 19 April 1953.

He died from head injuries and the police initially said that they suspected murder. However, they also said that they had not ruled out the possibility that he had died from some other cause. He had a severe injury above his left ear and a fractured skull. However, his inquest later concluded that he died from misadventure after he had climbed through the window into his room and fallen and hit his head resulting in his death.

Shortly after his body was found detectives from Scotland Yard were called in to carry out the investigation. They took fingerprints from the cubicle and took photographs and said that they thought that the case would require long and painstaking research. However, on the morning of 23 April 1953 it was reported that yard officers from the Murder Squad had said that from their enquiries so far that they had arrived at the conviction that there was little question of any other cause of death save murder and that there was no hint of an arrest.

He had been staying in cubicle 19 in E Block at the hostel and was found dead on his bed.

No murder weapon was found.

Following the discovery of his body it was soon noted that there was a hole in the window pane about three or four inches across and it was thought that someone had used to hole to get into the cubicle and murder Charles McConnell. The police removed what was left of the pane as well as a portion of the brick sill under the window for careful examination.

Charles McConnell's room faced up in the Bicester Road direction towards the Royal Bucks Hospital. It was said that there was a fair amount of ground in front of the site and that it would not appear difficult for anyone to have made their way to the window under the cover of darkness. It was noted that the hostel accommodated 450 people including the staff.

Charles McConnell was from Scotland and it was later said that he had a name for being rude and sarcastic.

He was seen going into the main entrance of the hostel shortly after the public houses had closed on the Saturday night and no one said that they had seen anything to suggest that he might have had a disagreement with anyone.

A resident at the hostel that had been staying in Room 9, Block F, said that he had seen Charles McConnell near the traffic lights at the top of the Market Square in Aylesbury at about 7pm on 18 April 1953 and said that they had a couple of drinks together, finally going off to The Hop Pole public house in Bicester Road between 9.15pm and 9.30pm. He said that they stayed there until about closing time and that whilst there Charles McConnell had had three whiskies and two Double Diamonds. He said that when Charles McConnell left the public house with him at 10.30pm he was not drunk and said that they then went off to the hostel together after which he saw no sign of him. He said that whilst they were in the Hop Pole he saw no sign of any argument or disturbance involving Charles McConnell.

A spare-time assistant at The Hop Pole who had been staying in Room 4 of Block L at the hostel said that he had seen Charles McConnell talking to the other man and another Scotsman at The Hop Pole and said that they all appeared to be on friendly terms. He said, 'I left The Hop Pole a little after closing time. I thought I saw McConnell near the hostel. I think it was him because he had grey hair and walked with a limp. He turned in the main entrance to the hostel. He was alone and the time would be about 10.40pm'.

His inquest which concluded on 26 June 1953 heard that a fragment of wool fibre was found lodged at the top of a waste pipe outside his window as well as a trace of wool left near the window and that minute particles of sand were found in his socks indicating that he had climbed in through the window.

A police superintendent that developed the theory that Charles McConnell had caused his injury whilst climbing in through the window to his cubicle said that he could only express his opinion, noting that his opinion was not completely borne out by fact, but that later evidence proved that there were hard facts to support it.

The police superintendent carried out a reconstruction of what he thought had happened to Charles McConnell on the night of 18 April 1953. He said that he thought that Charles McConnell had arrived back at the hostel at about 10.45pm and had started to make preparations for bed but that before those were completed he had found it necessary to visit the toilet which was near his cubicle and had left his room, slamming his door behind him. He said that he thought that Charles McConnell had forgotten his key and could not get in and had so left the building and then walked round to the window of his room which he had then found locked. He said that he then thought that Charles McConnell had picked up a stone or something similar and made a small hole in the glass near the catch, slipped his fingers through the hole and then opened the window.

He said that he then thought that Charles McConnell had then used the waste pipe near the window to climb up to the sill and had then climbed through and entered his room. He said that he thought that Charles McConnell had then stood on the rail at the end of his bed to close the window behind him which meant that he would have had to reach a maximum of five feet depending on how far the window had been open and that in reaching forward to do so that he had slipped and fallen heavily, hitting his head on the sharp angle of the wall with force. He added that he thought that the side of his head had also caught the latch of the window.

He said that he thought that Charles McConnell had then gone back to his bed and lain on the edge and was sick and bled and later died.

The man that found Charles McConnell's body, his roommate, said that he heard Charles McConnell vomiting in the night and saw him lying in his bed with his head covered when he went off on the Sunday morning to church. He said that when he returned at about 2.30pm he found that Charles McConnell was dead.

He said that Charles McConnell had never complained about his health but said that he had been off work in December and January and that he had formed the opinion that Charles McConnell had a heart condition. He said that Charles McConnell had never expressed any fear of falling down, but said that about 8 months earlier he had had a black eye which he said he got after he fell down after taking some liquor. He said that it was Charles McConnell's habit to drink a fair amount at week-ends, but said that he never stayed out late and added that he was almost invariably in bed before he was.

He described the furnishings in cubicle 19, saying that there was a wardrobe that Charles McConnell used and which was pulled up close to his bed in order to prevent draughts and that because of the wardrobe, when Charles McConnell was in bed he could not see him.

He said that on the Saturday morning Charles McConnell left the hotel at about 10am and that he himself later left about 20 minutes later. He noted that Charles McConnell didn't tell him where he was going or what he was going to do. He added that he knew of nobody having threatened to injure him and that when he himself left the window near Charles McConnell's bed was shut and latched and that no glass was broken.

He said that he later saw Charles McConnell at 11am that same morning at which time he said that Charles McConnell seemed to be in his usual health and spirits. He added that Charles McConnell had not had any drink when he saw him at that time.

He said that he spent the day in Aylesbury and that at about 7pm he went to the Derby Arms where he stayed until 10.30pm having had a good number of drinks and said that he arrived back at the hostel between 11pm and 11.30pm. He said, 'I was kind of sleepy. I had had a considerable amount to drink. My habit was to go to bed in the dark so as not to disturb McConnell. I am sure I did not switch on the light in the cubicle. I did not draw the curtains and I am certain they were not drawn next morning'.

When Charles McConnell's roommate was asked by the Coroner whether Charles McConnell had been in bed, Charles McConnell's roommate said 'I think he must have been because he usually was. I am not sure if I heard a noise, but when you go into a room you can sort of sense whether it is empty or not. I thought McConnell was in bed'. He went on to say that he was a sound sleeper and not easily disturbed and said, 'I woke up once and heard McConnell vomiting. The sound was coming from the head of his bed. I did not speak or do anything'. He said that he thought Charles McConnell had vomited just as daylight was breaking and noted that he had heard Charles McConnell vomit before and said that after that he just went back to sleep.

He said that he woke up at 8.40am but didn't take any particular notice of Charles McConnell's bed and noted that Charles McConnell usually slept with the clothes over his head. He said that he didn't notice any vomit. He said that Charles McConnell used to stuff old trousers along the door to keep the draughts out but that when he looked that day they were not there, and were instead at the back of the wardrobe and looked as though they might have been kicked there.

He said, 'I noticed there was no mirror on the dressing table and fragments of broken glass near the washstand. I thought McConnell must have had one over the eight and pulled the mirror down accidentally'. He said that although he did not take much notice of Charles McConnell's bed, he could see the outline of his feet but said that he didn't think it would be wise to look too closely because Charles McConnell had been vomiting and so avoided looking, but said that under ordinary circumstances he might have made a closer inspection.

He went on giving his evidence to state that he then went to breakfast and after that returned to the cubicle to wash and shave, but still didn’t take much notice of him lying in bed, saying that he thought that he had a hangover and would not want to be disturbed. He noted also that he didn't notice the broken window.

He then said, 'I left the hostel and returned about 2.30pm. I looked towards McConnell's bed and noticed he wasn't up. I went to look at him and was shocked by blood on the wall at the head of the bed. His face must have been partially exposed, and his elbow was protruding. I did not touch him and did not notice blood on the wardrobe'.

He said that he then went off for assistance.

He noted that so far as he knew that it was not Charles McConnell's habit to wear socks in bed, noting that Charles McConnell had a horror of draughts and kept his window closed.

The police noted that they did not suspect Charles McConnell's roommate of being implicated in his death.

The sister in charge of the hostel sick bay said that when she arrived at the cubicle in the afternoon that she found Charles McConnell in bed with his left arm hanging out of the bed and his hand touching the floor.  She said that he had a severe blow to the top of his head and that the top part of his body was uncovered. She said that the side of his head was discoloured and the he had been bleeding from his ear and that the side of his face and nose were dark from bruising.

She said that he had no pulse but that his body was still warm. She said that she saw that the mirror was out of the room and that there was nothing there that appeared could have been used to inflict such a serious injury to him.

She said that after the doctor examined Charles McConnell's body that he pulled the blankets over Charles McConnell's head and that she then went off for a cup of tea but then realised that she had left the key to the cubicle in the door and rushed back to get it and that when she got there she saw that someone had pulled back the blankets to expose Charles McConnell's face but said that she did not know who might have done such a thing.

The hostel manager said that he knew of no disagreement or row between Charles McConnell and other residents but noted that he had a reputation for being somewhat rude and sarcastic. He said that when he saw him in bed, he had been lying in a natural position but that his head was craned forward as though he had been vomiting.

He said that he noticed that the window was broken and that there was a small hole in the glass just above the latch.

He noted that there were three keys to each cubicle, one held by each of the residents and another that was held by the reception office. .

The hard facts that supported the police superintendents theory of accidental death where given to the Coroner by the Director of Scotland Yard's Science Laboratory who said that he had been able to establish that the window to cubicle 19 had been broken from the outside. He also noted that only a small quantity of alcohol was found in Charles McConnell's urine and blood even though it was known that Charles McConnell had visited several public houses in Aylesbury the night before he was found dead in his bed which the Director of Scotland Yard's Science Laboratory said could be explained by the fact that Charles McConnell had died sometime after receiving his injuries.

The Director of Scotland Yard's Science Laboratory then detailed the nature of the wool fibres that were found, stating that fibres of a colourless wool were found near the window and its surround which could have come from the vest that Charles McConnell had been wearing. He noted that when Charles McConnell was found he was only wearing his vest, pants and two pairs of socks. He added that wool fibre was also found on the nearby waste pipe which could have come from a pair of blue socks that Charles McConnell had been wearing over a grey pair. He went on to say that particles of sand were found on his blue socks and that after examination they were found to have been similar to those taken from a sample of earth outside the hostel.

The Director of Scotland Yard's Science Laboratory also said that he examined some blood stains that were found in or near cubicle 19 and said that they all belonged to blood group 'A' which was the same blood group as Charles McConnell.

It was reported that after the Director of Scotland Yard's Science Laboratory had presented that 'cast-iron' evidence that he said, 'There is no doubt from my analysis that at the time of his death McConnell was not under the influence of alcohol', adding that he thought that Charles McConnell's injuries must have occurred sufficiently long after his return to the hostel to allow him to have ridded himself of any alcohol that he might have consumed from his system.

A Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard said that there was a hole in the glass of the cubicle window immediately opposite the catch and that the hole had been made by force being applied from the outside. He said that the hole in the window was large enough for fingers to be inserted through it in order to move the window catch adding that an instrument, if not fingers, could certainly have been inserted instead.

He added that he had also taken possession of a large stone.

He went on to say that he found bloodstains near the head of the bed, on the adjacent wall, on the floor beneath and on pieces of wallpaper.

He noted that he also took several articles of clothing from the cubicle.

He said that he also discovered a drop of blood at the base of the metal window surround which he said must have got into that position when the window was open.

The Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard said that in the wood beading by the window he found small indentations that had probably been caused by an object brushing hard across them and that in the same area he found a tuft of fibres, adding that there were breaks in the distemper.

The pathologist that carried out the post mortem on Charles McConnell's body at Stoke Mandeville Hospital said that he was about 5ft 6in tall, heavily built and fairly well nourished. He said that he had a club foot on his right side and that his left leg was somewhat wasted.

He said that Charles McConnell's injuries were very severe and that in addition to the lacerations, he had a fractured skull and said that in his opinion his death was due to a depressed fracture of the skull and underlying contusion and laceration of the brain. He added that Charles McConnell's skull was only half the normal average thickness.

The Coroner asked the pathologist whether blood that was found at the head of the bed could have got there by Charles McConnell, in a restless state, rubbing his head, which was matted with blood, against the wall at the top of the bed, and the pathologist said that he thought that it was possible.

When the Coroner asked the pathologist whether he thought that it was possible that Charles McConnell might have been conscious for a time after receiving the blow the pathologist said that it was a difficult question, noting that his injuries were severe. He said that one would have expected him to have collapsed after receiving his injury but noted that it was possible for a severely injured person to make movements.

When the pathologist was asked whether he thought that it was possible that Charles McConnell might have fallen on some of the furniture in the room, he said that he felt that the degree of injury found could not have been caused by falling sideways unless a fair degree of momentum had been applied, adding that it might have been just possible if he had fallen from his own height onto something very rigid.

When the Coroner asked the pathologist whether he thought that it was possible that Charles McConnell might have caused his injuries by standing on the bed rail and slipping as he leaned forward to close the window and having then hit his head on the sharp edge of the wall and the window catch, the pathologist said that the shape of his injuries made it possible that they could have been caused in that manner.

The Coroner then asked the pathologist whether he thought that it was possible that Charles McConnell's skull fracture might have been caused by him impacting his head on the sharp edge of the wall and part of his head coming into contact with the window catch, the pathologist replied, 'Yes'.

The Coroner then asked the pathologist whether it was possible, if Charles McConnell had been wearing a vest, for part of the vest in passing over the beading near the window to have come into contact with the beading and leave a thread on it and the pathologist said, 'His shoulder may have rubbed the beading'.

Following other questions, the pathologist said that it was possible Charles McConnell could have carried out certain actions after receiving his injuries, but could not say whether or not he would have been able to have closed the window after having received such an injury.

The pathologist noted that in some cases of severe injury such as that that Charles McConnell had, there could have been a lapse of as much as a minute before the blood welled, which he said could account for the fact that there was no blood between the window and Charles McConnell's bed.

The pathologist further added that it was within his knowledge that Charles McConnell had been treated in Stoke Mandeville Hospital before for a disease that affected his sense of balance, noting that people with the disease were apt to think that they were falling when such was not the case. As such, he noted, that Charles McConnell was likely therefore to have had less control over a fall than the average person. He further added that he thought that Charles McConnell would have been more likely to have fallen if he had placed his club foot, in his stockinged feet, on the bed rail and then reached forward towards the window.

A police sergeant that attended the scene said that when Charles McConnell's body was being moved from his bed, that a bunch of four keys were found under him, one of which fitted the door to his cubicle.

The police sergeant said that he found a mirror outside on the grass about two feet from the window, saying that it was deeply embedded there as though it had fallen rather than having been placed, noting that there was no other disturbance in the grass except for where the mirror had fallen.

The police sergeant added that no other item was found that could have caused Charles McConnell's injury.

When the Coroner summed up he told the jury that they had three alternatives before them:

• That Charles McConnell killed himself intentionally.
• That he was killed by some person or persons unknown.
• That he met his death as the result of an accident.

The Coroner noted that there was nothing to point to the possibility that Charles McConnell was likely to take his own life. He noted that before returning to the hostel on the Saturday night that he had been in a happy frame of mind and had joined in the singing in a public house.

The Coroner added that neither was there any evidence that might lead them to think that somebody had killed Charles McConnell, noting that he was not known to be unfriendly with anyone and that nobody had threatened him. He added that neither was there any suggestion of robbery and that there was otherwise no known motive.

The Coroner then went on to detail the theory put forward by the police that he noted had investigated the matter thoroughly suggesting that Charles McConnell had locked himself out of his cubicle and then gone round to the back and climbed in through the window, leaving wool from his socks on the waste pipe, wool from his vest near the window and sand in his socks which might have come from the earth outside his cubicle and that he might have then fallen whilst attempting to close the window by standing on the bed rail with his club foot and the disease that made it harder for him to balance and then fallen and hit his head and then climbed into bed and then fallen unconscious and later died. The Coroner noted that the only unanswered question was how he would have closed his window after such a fall, but noted that the evidence had indicated that it was possible that he would have still been able to have closed his window.

The jury retired for 17 minutes before returning with their verdict of death by misadventure.

Charles McConnell was also known as Jock.