James Roland Robertson

Background

James Roland Robertson was a police officer. He was aged 33 when he was executed.

Catherine McCluskey was the woman who was killed.

Mrs Johnston asked Catherine McCluskey to look after her young baby for the night. Catherine McCluskey did not turn up and was not at her home in 239 Nicholson Street. Catherine McCluskey died on 28 July, lying on Prospecthill Road.

The offence

On the morning of 28 July 1950, a taxi-driver driving along Prospecthill Road, Glasgow noticed a bundle in the middle of the road. When he stopped to investigate he realised the bundle was the body of a woman. At first glance, the police suspected that the woman was the victim of a hit-and-run incident. A post-mortem revealed injuries to the body that had probably occurred prior to death and that the victim had been run over repeatedly.

The woman was identified as Catherine McCluskey. The vehicle involved was found abandoned in a side street. The owner was registered as James Robertson, who was a police officer.

At trial, the jury found him guilty of beating Catherine unconscious then deliberately running over her again and again in his car.

Investigation

Two members of the public alerted the cops anonymously by phone.

PC William Kevan was sent to check up. Instantly, PC Kevan realised it was not a drunk or a man beaten up or even a man. He could see the woman was badly injured. The ambulance arrived and the paramedics confirmed PC Kevan’s fears; the woman was dead.

The investigation noted that in a simple hit-and-run there would have been one set of tyre marks at either side of the body, but there were several.

Glasgow Police released information to local papers appealing for anyone who might recognise the woman to come forward. It did not take long for Mrs Johnston to get in touch.

A post mortem found that Catherine McCluskey’s legs weren’t broken, which was unusual for a pedestrian knocked down. It was suggested she was already on the ground when the car ran over her. Internal injuries supported the view that the woman had been run over several times. Her head and facial injuries were also more consistent with a beating than a car accident.

The first person they had to track down, if only to rule out, was Catherine McCluskey’s lover. Mrs Johnston had never met the man and only knew his surname—Robertson.

The investigation team faced a long slow job until they got a phone call from an alert desk sergeant at Orkney Street Police Station, Govan. The sergeant suggested they start with a copper he knew, PC James Robertson.

PC James Robertson denied knowing Catherine McCluskey, but the interviewing cops were going to be thorough.

Arrest

The investigation found out that Robertson was out on the beat on the night at the time of the killing. The team interviewed Robertson’s regular partner and partner that night, PC Dugald Moffat. Moffat’s response caused concern, and it was described that Moffat had been covering for Robertson for some time. Robertson’s wife watched every move he made, making it difficult for him to see his lover.

It was described that Robertson slipped off to spend a couple of hours with his woman while on quiet shifts. This was described as what had happened on 28 July: Robertson had gone off to see his woman around 11pm and turned up again at about 1am, covering the period covering the death of Catherine McCluskey.

Robertson’s beat on the night of 28 July was far from the scene of crime. It was stated that no bus driver had reported a cop on that route and it was too long to walk, commit murder and get back on shift in two hours. It was stated that the idea was that he may have driven. It was described that Robertson had an old Austin saloon car.

The cops pulled that car in for checks. It did not take long to find what they were looking for: a torch shone on the undercarriage revealed blood, fragments of flesh and clothes.

Robertson was charged with murder and denied all charges.

Trial

Robertson denied all the charges when charged with murder. He did admit to knowing Catherine McCluskey but not to having an affair with her or killing her.

He claimed he had sneaked off shift to see her that night and had hidden his car up a street near his beat just for that purpose.

At trial, he chose to repeat his story from the witness box and it was quickly destroyed under cross-examination.

At his trial at Glasgow in November 1950, he turned up for trial at the High Court, Glasgow on November 6, 1950.

The police gave evidence on his car, including that it was stolen and had false number plates. James Robertson was described as being proven to be a thief and, more importantly, a liar.

The jury deliberated and took an hour to find him guilty of beating Catherine unconscious then deliberately running over her again and again in his car.

Sentencing

He was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

On December 15, 1950, James Robertson was executed.

Aftermath

It was stated that on December 16, 1950, at Barlinnie Prison, Albert Pierrepoint made Scottish legal history when he hanged James Robertson. It was stated that since records have been kept, PC James Robertson was the only serving policeman to be executed for a crime committed while on duty. It was also stated that the cops had caught and punished one of their own.

Robertson said it was an accident, but he was described as being proven to be a thief and more importantly a liar.