Robert Allen

Unsolved Murders

Age: 70

Sex: male

Date: 28 Oct 1962

Place: The Hut, Hitchin Road, Pegsden, Bedfordshire.

Robert Allen died after being physically assaulted in Pegsden on the night of 20-21 October 1962.

He later died in hospital on 28 October 1962.

The prosecution dropped a charge against three men due to lack of evidence.

A verdict of murder by a person or persons unknown was later recorded at the inquest in St Pancras on Thursday 3 January 1963.

Robert Allen had lived in The Hut, also known as the Cabin, in Hitchin Road in Pegsden and was assaulted there by several people and subsequently died from his injuries seven days later.

The landlord of the Live and Let Live public house in Pegsden said that Robert Allen left his house at closing time on the Saturday night, 20 October 1962 and that when he called to see him the following morning that he found him in a chair 'in a terrible state, hardly recognisable. Everything was in disorder'.

A woman that could see the hut from her window said that at about midnight on 20 October 1962 that she heard voices arguing for about 20 minutes.

The pathologist that carried out the post mortem examination said that Robert Allen died from head injuries consistent with blows to the face, and possibly from a shod foot.

A press operator that lived in Long Road, Pegsdon, said that Robert Allen kept pigs and that he had sold four in the two or three weeks before his murder. He said that he spoke to him on the Friday night and that he had spoken of a subsidy and showed him a cheque for about £14. He added:

I went round to see him the next morning and saw the place upside down. A transistor radio was missing.

A police inspector said that more money was found in the shack than Robert Allen would have received for the pigs.

Although no trial was held, the Homicide Return for 1962 for the Bedfordshire Constabulary named four people that they strongly suspected of having committing the murder. They were all dealers or gypsies, detailed:

Male, aged 19.
Male, aged 22.
Male, aged 43.
Male, aged 39.

The details in the 1962 Homicide Return from Bedfordshire constabulary stated:

The four suspects named at 2 above are strongly suspected of committing this murder. The file of papers has been submitted to the Director of Prosecutions who on 25th April, 1963, informed me that in his view the enquiries do not, at this stage, disclose sufficient evidence to justify proceedings on a charge of murder against anyone.

In addition to the property alleged to have been stolen (mentioned on part I of the return) it is believed that a sum of money may have also been stolen. The four suspects were known to the victim and were camping in the neighbourhood during the material times. The motive for the murder, although not established beyond doubt, appears to have been theft. The four suspects are thought to have punched and possibly kicked and assaulted the victim with a beer bottle.

The details for the case are held at the National Archives at Kew in file DPP 2/3568, but it is closed until 2044.

*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

see Bedfordshire Police

see National Archives - DPP 2/3568, HO 332/15 STA502/3/20

see Birmingham Daily Post - Friday 04 January 1963

see Belfast News-Letter - Monday 19 November 1962

see Birmingham Daily Post - Friday 04 January 1963