Monday, August 02, 2010
Another shocking crime from the 1950s
A couple of weeks ago I brought you the kidnapping of Tony Stephens, 12, from Earl Shilton - a crime that hardly fits with our image of Britain in the 1950s.
Thanks to the British Pathé site, here is another. As ever, click on the photograph to go to the newsreel footage.
I can find no reliable mention of this case anywhere else on the net, so I don't know if charges were even brought.
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6 comments:
I love that newsreader's accent, if only they spoke like that now.
I can help you on the history. Marjorie Sylvia Jordan was discovered on Sunday 21 April 1957. As a result John Raymond Bridal, aged 26, labourer, was accused of unlawfully imprisoning her between 8 January and 21 April 1957, and also assaulting her causing actual bodily harm.
Bridal's committal proceedings began at Bow Street from 31 May, and on 19 June he was committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court. There he pleaded guilty and was sentenced on 16 July 1957 to three years' imprisonment. It was revealed at the trial that Bridal had previously spent nine months as a certified patient in a mental hospital in 1952, although he was considered sane in 1957.
I'm not happy about your blogging on these cases Jonathan. Both victims are of my generation and presumably still alive. Putting myself in their shoes, I don't think I'd want my case given publicity now, particularly since in the Stephens case you imply there was a sexual motive.
I'm not sure what point you are trying to make, but whatever it is, I don't think it is more important than the harm these posts might do.
David: Many thanks. May I ask what your source is for this?
Jane: I am not making any point. I blog about these cases because I find social history fascinating.
I searched The Times Digital Archive. After trying a few variants of spelling I turned up a mention of the case which provided the accurate names to search on.
I can't trace either Mr Bridal or Miss Jordan after the trial to tell you what became of them.
Jonathan is only reporting what had already been reported and that has been on the British Pathe YouTube channel for some time. If the woman and her kidnapper are still alive, they'd be in their mid-eighties by now. David Rayner.
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