Leslie Green

Case overview

Leslie Green was convicted of the murder of Alice Wiltshaw. Alice Wiltshaw died from blows delivered with a poker as part of an intended robbery of her valuables and jewellery. Leslie Green was hanged on December 23, 1952.

Background

Leslie Green was an ex-Borstal boy. Leslie Green had once worked for the Wiltshaw family and had known when Mrs Alice Wiltshaw would be on her own. The murder was planned.

Mr and Mrs Wiltshaw lived in a large 14-room house called “Estoril” at Barlaston in Staffordshire. The murder took place on a Wednesday.

The domestic staff were off-duty at the time of the murder, and the house showed no signs of forced entry. These features were treated as indicating that the murderer knew the domestic routine of the house.

Leslie Green had been sacked by the Wiltshaws for using the car for his own purposes. His name had been known to police because he had been in trouble before and had spent time in Borstal.

The offence

Alice Wiltshaw was 62 years old. Mr Cuthbert Wiltshaw came home from work and found the body of his wife in the kitchen. The body was lying in a pool of blood.

Alice Wiltshaw had been hit over the head and her skull was smashed. Her jaw was broken and she had been stabbed several times in the stomach. Her body also showed other cuts.

A murder weapon, a poker, lay next to the body. Nearby were a pair of blood-stained gloves, with a tear in the thumb of the left glove.

It looked as if robbery was the motive. £3,000 worth of jewellery and a number of other items were missing. An old RAF raincoat kept by Mr Wiltshaw for wearing when he was gardening was also missing.

Investigation

Detective Superintendent Reg Spooner arrived from Scotland Yard and took charge of the case. When the murder had taken place, all domestic staff were off-duty, and the house showed no signs of forced entry.

Police contacted former staff at the house and slowly eliminated them from the inquiry. The only ex-member of staff they could not locate had worked at the house up until two months before as the chauffeur. His name was Leslie Green.

Green’s picture was released to the press, and he later walked into Longton police station to “clear himself”.

Police found a witness who was able to give a description of a man seen near the house on the day of the murder, fitting Green.

Police also found that Green had given some rings to his girlfriend that matched those stolen from the house. The rings were part of the stolen jewellery.

Gordon’s alibi was that he had been sleeping in a park in Stafford prior to catching a train to see his girl-friend in Leeds.

Spooner calculated that Green had time to get to Barlaston and back in time to catch the Leeds train. Backing a hunch, he asked the Railway Police to try and trace the missing overcoat.

A couple of days later the blood-stained coat was found in a lost property office. A porter had found it on the Stafford-Holyhead train.

When Spooner checked Green’s hands, he found a recently healed cut on the thumb of Green’s left hand, matching the cut in the glove. Green’s rubber-soled shoes also matched bloody footprints found in the kitchen.

Arrest

Leslie Green was identified after police could not locate the chauffeur they had dismissed from the house until two months earlier. After Green’s picture was released to the press, Green later walked into Longton police station to “clear himself”.

Trial

Green’s trial took place at Stafford Assizes and lasted three days. The evidence was described as overwhelming.

Sentencing

The hanging was carried out at Stafford Gaol / Winsom Green prison by Albert Pierrepoint.

Outcome

Leslie Green was found guilty of the brutal murder of Mrs Alice Wiltshaw and was executed by hanging on December 23, 1952.

Timeline

• Wednesday 16 July 1952 — Mr Cuthbert Wiltshaw came home from work to find the body of his 62-year-old wife, Alice Wiltshaw, in the kitchen.
• December 23, 1952 — Leslie Green was hanged.

Other details

Leslie Green was described as having previously spent time in Borstal. The investigation included contacting former staff and tracing the missing overcoat.

A witness provided a description of a man seen near the house on the day of the murder that fitted Green.

Albert Pierrepoint carried out the hanging.