Donald George Thomas

Case record: Donald George Thomas

Background

Donald George Thomas was born in Enfield twenty-three years before his murder conviction. While he had moved on from Enfield he was soon traced to lodgings in Clapham. He was already wanted by the army and had deserted the previous October. He was called up in January 1945 and deserted immediately. After two years on the run he gave himself up and was sentenced to 160 days detention. This had not deterred him, and he deserted again upon his release. Thomas had a criminal record with periods of probation before he was sent to an approved school at the age of sixteen.

A photograph of Mrs Noreen Winklass, a cinema usherette and mother of three who had taken up with Thomas and had left her home in Camberwell, was published in the newspapers on 17 February. The photograph was recognised by Mrs Connie Sneed as that of one of her lodgers, who was occupying a top floor room with a young man. Mrs Connie Sneed told police that Thomas had admitted the murder to her.

The offence

On 13 February 1948, Police Constable Nathaniel Edgar was on plain-clothes duty in Wades Hill, Winchmore Hill, north London. There had been a string of burglaries in the area. When PC Edgar noticed a man acting suspiciously, he stopped and questioned him.

People in the area heard the sound of three shots. When they came to investigate the cause, they saw a man running away. They found the policeman lying in the driveway of a house, dying. PC Edgar was shot three times.

Before he expired, in hospital an hour later, he managed to tell colleagues that he written down the name and address of his killer, "Thomas, Donald, 247 Cambridge Road, Enfield," in his pocketbook.

Investigation

Bullets from the Luger that Thomas had tried to retrieve matched those that killed PC Edgar. Scotland Yard went into high gear after the killing: it cancelled all leaves and issued extraordinary (and temporary) permission for sleuths to carry guns.

The photograph of Mrs Noreen Winklass was published on 17 February and was recognised by Mrs Connie Sneed as being one of her lodgers. When police went to arrest him, officers had to overpower Thomas as he tried to retrieve a gun from under his pillow.

Arrest

Four days after the shooting, police tracked down suspected burglar Donald George Thomas in a boardinghouse and arrested him for the murder of Constable Edgar.

When officers moved to arrest him, Thomas tried to retrieve a gun from under his pillow. Officers had to overpower him.

Trial

Donald George Thomas’s trial took place at the Old Bailey in April 1948. He was tried for the murder of PC Nathaniel Edgar. He was found guilty and sentenced to death.

PC Nathaniel Edgar was only 33 when he was murdered by Donald George Thomas.

Because of an experimental no-hanging period, Thomas’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Sentencing

He was sentenced to death in April 1948. Because of an experimental no-hanging period, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Outcome

Thomas was released on licence in April 1962.

Other details

• PC Nathaniel Edgar was murdered by being shot three times on 13 February 1948.
• People in the area heard three shots and saw a man running away.
• PC Edgar died after telling colleagues the name and address of his killer in his pocketbook: "Thomas, Donald, 247 Cambridge Road, Enfield,"
• The bullets from the Luger Thomas tried to grab matched those that killed PC Edgar.
• Mrs Connie Sneed identified Thomas as a lodger and said he had admitted the murder to her.
• The photograph of Mrs Noreen Winklass was published on 17 February; Mrs Connie Sneed recognised it as depicting one of her lodgers occupying a top floor room with a young man.
• After his first desertion, he was wanted by the army.
• After detention of 160 days he deserted again upon his release.