Frederick Nodder

Background

Frederick Nodder lived at 9 Neill Road, Sheffield in 1934, in the Hunters Bar district. He was ostensibly a car mechanic by trade, but his dissolute and drunken manner meant his employment was spasmodic.

At around this time, he began using the alias of Frederick Hudson. Nodder stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Grimes until the summer of 1935, despite the owners being aware of the deception.

In 1935 Nodder moved to fresh lodgings with Mrs Tinsley at 11 Thoresby Avenue, Newark. He called himself Hudson and moved soon afterwards to a house named "Peacehaven" near to Hayton, Retford. Nodder was separated from his wife, and a bastardy warrant had been issued for his arrest. There was also an outstanding bastardy warrant out for his arrest, described as requiring the police to find the man named by the mother and bring him before the local magistrates to organise recognizance.

Nodder was described as an ugly, brutish drunk with difficulty holding a job because of his habits. Despite this, he was popular with the Tinsley's children, who knew him as "Uncle Fred". The narrative also described that his lack of personal hygiene and foul living habits caused him to be ordered out of a succession of lodgings.

He left the house at 11 Thorseby Avenue after three weeks without paying any rent. He spent the next year in East Retford before moving in June 1936 to "Peacehaven", a small semi-detached house in Hayton near Retford. He was shunned by local villagers.

The offence

Abduction and disappearance of Mona Tinsley

On Tuesday 5th January 1937, 10-year-old Mona Tinsley left her school in Guildhall Street, Newark. She was next seen at the bus station with Nodder and at Retford in Nodder's company, then she vanished.

Nodder made two police statements. In his first statement, he denied seeing the child. In his second statement, he said the child had asked him to take her to Sheffield to visit her aunt and baby cousin. He claimed that because it was late on a winter's afternoon he had the child spend the night at "Peacehaven". He also claimed that the next day he took her from Retford to Worksop on the bus, gave her two shillings for her fare, and put her on another bus bound for Sheffield.

The police search conducted an exhaustive search. They took "Peacehaven" to bits, dragged the Chesterfield Canal and the River Idle, and searched the countryside around for miles but there was no sign of the child.

On 5th January 1937, a search was immediately initiated when Mona's parents contacted the police at nine o'clock that evening. The search continued throughout the night and next morning. The police contacted all schools in the area, asking staff and pupils to report any information.

An eleven year old schoolboy provided the first lead: William Henry Plackett, who lived next door to the Tinsleys at 13 Thorsesby Avenue, Newark, told police that he had seen Mona near the Newark Bus Depot with a man and described the man as vague.

Mrs Annie Hird, who lived at 15 Thorseby Avenue, told police about seeing a man standing in the doorway opposite the school entrance between 3.45 and 4.00 p.m. the previous afternoon. She recognised the man as the Tinsley's former lodger whom she knew. She did not speak to him.

At seven o'clock, Mona's parents began visiting friends and acquaintances as time passed and Mona still had not appeared.

A teacher described Mona as a bright and intelligent child who was doing well at school.

Charles Edward Neville, the driver of the 4.45 p.m. bus from Newark to Retford on the previous day, pointed out that he had noticed a little girl with a brown coat but no hat board his bus at the stop just past the Wesleyan School in Guildhall Street. The child was accompanied by a middle aged man who bought a return ticket for himself and a single ticket for the girl. They got off the bus in Grove Street, Retford.

A daily maid, Miss Doreen Jessie Jarman, worked mornings only from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. She recalled that earlier that day she had noticed a little girl wearing a blue jumper and skirt standing at the back door of Nodder's house. She looked about eight or nine years old. Nodder was working in the back garden at the time of the sighting. The police later visited the house but found it deserted and in darkness, then kept watch and sighted Nodder coming down the road at 11.00.

When intercepted by police at 11.00, Nodder said: "I know nothing about it"

He also repeated the statement when asked to account for his movements the previous day. Police were convinced that Nodder had abducted the child, as his description matched that given by the bus driver and other witnesses.

Murder charge and strangling

On Sunday 6th June 1937, Mona's body was found floating in the River Idle near to Bawtry. She had been strangled.

The narrative described that Mona's body was recovered on a fine summer Sunday afternoon 6th June 1937 by the manager of a local gasworks, Mr. Walter Victor Marshall of Melwood, Station Road, Newark. He was rowing with his family on the River Idle about three quarters of a mile downstream from Bawtry when he saw an object in the water. He realised it was a body of a young girl and sent his son to summon the police. They returned and retrieved the body from the river and laid it on the river bank.

After the arrival of the Nottinghamshire County Superintendent, the body was taken to the Ship Inn at Newington. Mona's father was brought to the scene and confirmed that the body was that of his daughter Mona.

The body was clothed in the garments Mona was wearing on the day of her disappearance save for her brown tweed coat and one of her wellingtons. These were found the next day close to where she had been found.

A post mortem was carried out by pathologist Dr. James Webster. The cold water had inhibited decomposition to a certain extent and it was quickly established that Mona had been strangled by a ligature from behind and placed in the water soon after the time of death. The pathologist was unable to find evidence of sexual assault due to the condition of the body and the time it had been in the water.

Investigation

The police conducted an exhaustive search following Mona's disappearance. They searched "Peacehaven", dragging the Chesterfield Canal and the River Idle, and searched the countryside.

The search initially focused on the Chesterfield Canal, which ran within fifty yards of Nodder's house. The canal was dragged, and the search extended to a stretch than ran for the next five miles. The search was widened to include the waters of the River Idle. Pits, quarries, cesspools, and ditches in the area were searched but to no avail.

When police searched Nodder's house, it was found to be "indescribably filthy". Paper was found that showed drawings and writing later shown to be Mona's. Child fingerprints were found on unwashed crockery left in the kitchen sink. Clothes were also retrieved that were similar to those worn by the man seen on the bus with Mona. A search of the garden, where Nodder had been seen digging earlier in the day, revealed nothing.

Nodder was placed on a holding charge of non payment of an affiliation order and was placed in police custody. He was placed in an identification parade in Newark on Thursday 7th January, and was picked out by the people who had seen him with Mona two days earlier.

Faced with mounting evidence, Nodder agreed to make a further statement, which he did at 10.00 p.m. Friday 8th January 1937. In that statement, he admitted that he met Mona near the school and that she asked him about her aunt Edith and her cousin Peter who was just a baby boy. Nodder asked if she would like him to take her to see her aunt and new cousin. She said that she did. He said he realised it would be dangerous for him to go to Sheffield himself due to the bastardy warrant and decided to send Mona to her aunt on the bus, specifically the 6.45 p.m. bus from Retford to Worksop, then instruct her to put herself on the bus to Sheffield. Nodder said it was the last time he saw her, after he put Mona on the Sheffield bus and went to two pubs before returning to Peacehaven.

The narrative stated that witnesses placed Nodder, on his own, drinking in the Criterion Hotel in Retford that evening. It also stated that the weather was cold and windy and dark, and that the statement did not check out.

The narrative said Mrs. Grimes later confirmed that Mona had not been to the house for a number of years and thought it unlikely that Mona would be able to find it from the centre of town. It stated that Mona was not seen by anyone in Worksop, on the bus, or in Sheffield.

Arrest

Nodder was held on a charge of non payment of an affiliation order and placed in police custody.

On Sunday 10th January 1937 at 5.45 p.m., Nodder was charged under section 56 of the Offences against the Person Act with "taking away a child from her parents by force or fraud".

He appeared before local magistrates and was remanded until 16th February when he was committed for trial at the next Assizes. He pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence.

Trial

First trial: abduction

Nodder appeared at Birmingham Assizes on 9th March 1937. The next day he was found guilty and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

The prosecution and defence team were identified as Mr. Norman Burkett K.C. prosecuting and Mr. Maurice Healy K.C. defending.

In his summing up, Justice Swift made the following remarks: "Nobody knows of what became of that little girl... Whatever happened to her, how she fared, who looked after her, where she slept, there is one person in this court who knows, and he is silent - he is silent. He says nothing to you at all.. he sits there and never tells you a word..."

The jury was out for just sixteen minutes and returned an unanimous verdict of guilty. Nodder was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

When Mr Justice Swift handed down the sentence, he said: "Frederick Nodder, you have been, most properly in my opinion, convicted by the jury of a dreadful crime. What you did with that little girl, what became of her, only you know. it may be that time will reveal the dreadful secret which you carry in your breast."

Second trial: murder

On 27th July Nodder was brought from his prison cell to Retford Police Station and charged with the murder of Mona Tinsley.

The trial took place on Monday 22nd November 1937 at Nottinghamshire Assizes and lasted all of two days. The same prosecution and defence team appeared as in the March case.

Nodder entered the witness box in the murder trial and described that he had met Mona when she came out of school that day. He described that they boarded the 4.45 pm bus to Retford and from there went to his house at Peacehaven. He said that after supper Mona was put to bed in his own double room and he slept downstairs. He said that on the following morning, in a moment of guilt, he decided to send Mona onto her Aunt in Sheffield. He said Mona was seen at the house that day while he was seen gardening. He described that it was late evening when Nodder and Mona set off.

Nodder maintained that he had given Mona two shillings and a note of explanation to give to Mrs Grimes in Sheffield. He also said he gave her full instructions on how to get there. He advanced the possibility that she had been abducted from the bus and murdered.

The jury retired and after all of 39 minutes returned with an unanimous verdict of guilty. They chose not to believe any of Nodder's testimony.

When sentencing Nodder to death, Mr Justice Mcnaughton said: "Justice has slowly but surely overtaken you"

Sentencing

For abduction, Nodder was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after being found guilty at Birmingham Assizes.

For murder, Nodder was sentenced to death.

Appeals

An appeal was lodged by Nodder but was rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Nodder's appeal against the conviction was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on December 13.

Outcome

Frederick Nodder was hanged at Lincoln Prison on 30th December 1937.

Aftermath

Mona Tinsley's funeral took place at the Methodist chapel where she used to attend Sunday School, and she was laid to rest in Newark Cemetery after the formal inquest.

A report dated 31st December 1937 described that Frederick Nodder was 45, was sentenced to death at the Nottingham Assizes for the murder of Mona Tinsley, and was hanged at Lincoln Prison. The report stated that Nodder had outlived Mr. Justice Swift, and that Justice Swift had told him at sentencing: " It may be that time will reveal the dreadful secret you carry in your breast."

The report also stated that Mona Tinsley, aged 10, disappeared after leaving school at Newark on January 5 and that her body was not found until June in the River Idle at Bawtry. It said she was said to have been seen last with Nodder, who had lodged at her parents' house at one time and whom she called " Uncle Ned." It stated Nodder was charged with abducting her and found guilty at Birmingham Assizes in March. It stated that when Mona Tinsley's body was found three months later, Nodder was brought from prison to face the charge of murder alleged to be strangling and throwing her body into the river, and that he was found guilty at trial on November 23 at the Nottingham Assizes. It stated that Mr. Justice Macnaghten sentenced him to death and said: " Justice has slowly but surely overtaken you". It stated that Nodder declared that he left the court with a clear conscience. It stated that his appeal against the conviction was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on December 13.

The narrative also recorded that Mr Justice Swift died in October and that the report referenced this in relation to the abduction sentencing.