Reginald Hinks

Background

Reginald Hinks met Constance Anne Pullen in 1933. They enjoyed a whirlwind romance before getting married. Constance Anne Pullen was a divorcee with a child and she lived in Bath with her 85-year-old, senile father.

Hinks was 33 years old. He worked as a vacuum cleaner salesman and was constantly on the look out for an easier life than that of a door-to-door salesman. The elderly Mr Pullen had a nurse to look after him, but after Hinks moved into the house with his bride, he forced the nurse to leave. Hinks put the man on a strict diet and would often take him on long walks, often leaving him alone in busy streets.

Mr Pullen was stronger than he looked. When he failed to succumb to these rigours, Hinks changed his tactics. He decided to make it look as if the old man had committed suicide.

The offence

Hinks staged the death of his father-in-law by making it appear that the older man had committed suicide. He planned the scene so that the man’s head would be inside a gas oven and so that any bruise could be attributed to events during the alleged attempt to pull him out.

Investigation

On 1 December 1933, Reginald Hinks called the fire brigade. When they arrived, Hinks told them that he had found his father-in-law dead, with his head inside the gas-oven. He also told them that any bruise that might be found on the old man's head had happened when he pulled him from the oven. The fire brigade felt it was a strange thing to say and a note was made of it.

A post-mortem was carried out and quickly established that the bruise which was indeed present had been caused before death.

Arrest

After the post-mortem result revealed that bruising occurred before the so-called suicide, Reginald Hinks was arrested.

Trial

At his Old Bailey trial, Reginald Hinks was found guilty.

Sentencing

He was executed at Bristol on 3 May 1934, aged 32, five months after the events leading to trial.

Outcome

Reginald Hinks was executed by hanging at Bristol on May 3, 1934.

Other details

Constance Anne Pullen was identified as the wife of Reginald Hinks and as a divorcee with a child. Her father was identified as James Pullen (also referred to as Mr Pullen and Pullen Senior). He was described as 85-year-old and senile and as having needed 24-hour care in the shape of a nurse.