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Pottery Cottage murders

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Pottery Cottage murders
Pottery Cottage 1977
LocationPottery Cottage, Eastmoor, Chesterfield
Coordinates53°14′16.8″N 1°32′47.4″W / 53.238000°N 1.546500°W / 53.238000; -1.546500
Date12-14 January 1977
Deaths
  • Arthur Minton (72)
  • Amy Minton (68)
  • Richard Moran (36)
  • Sarah Moran (10)
  • William Hughes (30; perpetrator)
Injured4 (2 seriously)
PerpetratorWilliam Hughes

The Pottery Cottage murders took place in Eastmoor, Chesterfield in January 1977, when William Thomas Hughes escaped from custody whilst being transferred from prison to court where he was facing charges of rape and grievous bodily harm. He stabbed two prison officers during his escape and then took five members of a local family hostage, only one of whom survived.

Hughes was shot dead by police marksmen after a high-speed, multiple-vehicle pursuit; he was the first person to be shot dead by Derbyshire Constabulary and the first prison escapee to be shot dead in the United Kingdom in modern times.[1] Chief inspector Peter Howse was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for his role in apprehending Hughes and saving the life of the survivor. The Prison Service were strongly criticised for systemic failures that prevented them from correctly assessing the danger Hughes had on society; no charges were made against individuals.

Background

William Hughes

William Hughes

William Thomas Hughes (born 8 August 1946, Preston, Lancashire) was the first of six children born to Thomas Hughes and his wife Mary. He had little interest in his education, his academic performance was poor and he was prone to antisocial behaviour and petty criminality from a young age. He failed to hold down a job for any lasting duration after leaving school at age 15. Hughes' escalating criminal behaviour resulted in spells in approved school and Borstal;[2] he received the first of multiple prison sentences in 1966.[3]

Hughes was married with one child, the relationship was beset with abuse, violence and infidelity.[4][5] In March 1976, he left his wife and moved to Chesterfield with his girlfriend where, on the night of 21 August 1976, he beat a man with a brick and raped the man's partner after meeting them in a nightclub[6] and following them into a park.[7]

Following a public appeal, the police were tipped-off and Hughes was duly arrested,[8] charged and remanded to HMP Leicester. Despite his history of violent behaviour, Hughes was allocated work in the prison kitchen, [9]from where, on 3 December 1976, he stole a boning knife which he managed to keep concealed despite subsequent searches.[10]

It later transpired, during the official Prison Service inquiry, that the police had given HMP Leicester minimal information about Hughes and Prison Service Headquarters had not furnished them with a comprehensive record of his previous convictions or his prior custodial history.[11] As such, the department responsible for categorizing prisoners designated him as category B.[12] During his imprisonment at Leicester, Hughes did not behave unusually or give any cause for concern. Although a report on Hughes was published that stated he was "of a violent nature" and might attempt escaping, this, along with the full record of Hughes' previous convictions, did not arrive at Leicester until after the escape and murders had been committed.[13]

Pottery Cottage family

Arthur Minton (born circa 1904, Solihull) and his wife Amy (née Aubrey; born 1909, Solihull) were married in June 1931 and had two children, Barbara and Gillian. They ran a grocery shop in School Lane, Acocks Green[14] until Arthur's retirement; after selling the business they relocated to Derbyshire, sharing a home with their youngest daughter Gillian and her husband, Richard.[15]

Richard Moran (born 19 May 1935, Kilmoganny, Ireland) left school at the age of 14 and started his working life as a labourer. He served a stint in the Irish Army before moving to Birmingham. He initially worked in a factory whilst studying in the evenings, later securing a role as a sales clerk with a local building company.[15]

Gillian Moran (née Minton, born 24 March 1938, Birmingham) grew up in Acocks Green, upon leaving school she enrolled in secretarial college before going on to work as a typist and delivery driver. It was through this role that, in June 1958, she met Richard.[16] They were married on 21 September 1959[15] and in 1966 they completed their family by adopting a baby girl, who they named Sarah (born 20 September 1966).[17]

Northend Farm was a converted 18th Century pottery barn on the edge of the Peak District National Park in Eastmoor. The Morans and Mintons moved into the property in October 1969, converting it into two living units and renaming it "Pottery Cottage".[15]

At the time their paths crossed with William Hughes, Richard was a Sales Director for a plastics manufacturer, Gillian worked as a Secretary for a firm of Accountants, Sarah was excelling at the local primary school and the Mintons were retired.

12 January 1977

Escape

Beeley Moor

Hughes was scheduled to appear at court in Chesterfield; it wasn't the first time he'd been transferred to court, he'd made the same journey on four occasions since being remanded into custody, he was described as giving "no cause for concern" by his previous escorts.[18]

On 12 January, the weather conditions were bad, heavy snow had fallen and traffic flow along the 55-mile route was disrupted. Hughes would be transported by taxi accompanied by Prison officers Don Sprintall and Ken Simmonds; he was frisked, handcuffed to Simmonds and placed in the back seat of the taxicab, with Sprintall sitting in the front passenger seat.[19][20] Because Hughes was handcuffed to another officer, instead of both cuffs being used on himself, he had one hand free to plan his escape.[21]

Before reaching the court Hughes insisted that he needed to use the bathroom, he used the opportunity to retrieve the stolen boning knife he had hidden on his person.[22]

Shortly after the journey restarted he attacked Sprintall, stabbing him in the back of the neck, before turning his attention to Simmonds. After incapacitating his guards he had the taxi driver drive on for a short distance before dumping him and the badly injured officers at the roadside.[23] Hughes drove on for only a short distance before crashing the car into a wall along the B5057 and fleeing on foot onto Beeley Moor.[24]

Beeley to Eastmoor

Police were notified of Hughes' escape at around 10 am and within 25 minutes had located the crashed taxi Hughes had been travelling in. The immediate search was led by Chief inspector Peter Howse. At the scene, the police dogs were unable to pick up a scent, the snow had covered any footprints and there were no witnesses as the roads were deserted. A search radius was established to cover isolated properties, farms and outbuildings.[22] Initial available resources were insufficient to thoroughly search every property in the area, so the focus was on the most vulnerable, 256 of which were checked in the first few hours. It was considered likely that Hughes would continue towards Beeley and would aim for the A6[24] and unlikely that he would have headed onto the open moors in such treacherous conditions.[25]

Hughes did exactly that, making his way over four miles of exposed moorland, heading north until he reached Baslow Road, Eastmoor.[26]

Pottery Cottage

The Mintons were at home at Pottery Cottage when Hughes walked in through the back door armed with two axes he'd found in their shed. He told them that he was on the run from the Police and needed to lay low until nightfall, he assured them that he wouldn't hurt them.[27]

Gillian Moran was the first to arrive home, followed by her daughter Sarah. Gillian told Sarah that Hughes was a stranded motorist waiting for his car to be repaired. The adults made small talk over coffee and Sarah sat on the floor sewing, before going through to the annexe with her grandfather to watch the television. In a subsequent witness statement, Gillian described a calm and almost domesticated scene, noting that: "Up to this time, (Hughes) manner was friendly", but he became more agitated as the time passed waiting for Richard to return.[28]

Richard arrived home just after 6 pm to find Hughes holding a knife to Gillian's throat, threatening to kill her if anyone approached him. He forced Richard to the floor and bound his hands and legs, he tied up Gillian next and then Amy. Amy's distress drew Arthur and Sarah from the annexe, both angrily castigated Hughes; he went to tie Arthur up next and when he resisted he was roughly manhandled, dragged across the floor and tied up in an armchair. Despite his earlier assurances, Hughes then gagged the adults, isolated them in separate rooms and took Sarah through to the annexe.[29]

Gillian Moran spent the first night bound and gagged in her marital bedroom, she heard the sounds of a disturbance coming from the lounge below and realized it was her father being beaten. Hughes then made tea for his hostages, he held the cup for Gillian while she drank and then sexually assaulted her,[30] he spent the rest of the night chatting to her husband in the next room, "as if he'd met him in a pub".[31]

13 January 1977

Overnight the Peak District saw the heaviest snowfall in more than 50 years, many roads were cut off and blizzard conditions were forecast.[32]

At around 7.30 am, a local authority vehicle arrived to empty the septic tank, Hughes directed Gillian outside to greet them while warning her to "act normal". The council workers later recalled that there was nothing within her demeanour to suggest that anything was wrong.[33] At this point Gillian caught a glimpse of her father, who was still sitting in the same armchair as the night before, she noted that "he wasn't moving [...] I couldn't see if he was injured or bleeding". Hughes dragged her away, telling her that Arthur was asleep. He instructed her to call her employer and her daughters school to inform them they were unwell and would not be coming in,[34] when she asked about Sarah's whereabouts Hughes claimed that she was asleep in the annexe.[35]

Richard was made to call his place of work to advise that he was ill; Gillian was sent out alone to buy newspapers and cigarettes and check for roadblocks, with Hughes cautioning her "I've got your family here Gill don't do anything stupid".[36]

When Gillian returned, she noted that her father was no longer in the armchair, Hughes claimed that he was in his bedroom. Gillian made food and drinks for Hughes and her family throughout the day and, each time, Hughes took some through to Arthur and Sarah.[37] She queried why her daughter had not asked for her "comfort towel" and a particular soft toy that she slept with every night, Hughes took the items through to the annexe, claiming Sarah "was really pleased to see them" on his return.[38]

After reassuring his hostages that he would be leaving that evening, he untied them while they drank a bottle of whiskey together and played card games.[37] He took two trips out later that evening on the premise of preparing to escape, firstly taking both the Morans with him and then just Gillian, but the snow was still falling heavily and driving conditions were treacherous, so he remained at Pottery Cottage for a second night.[39] Gillian again asked Hughes about her daughter, requesting he bring her through from the annexe for the night, but he refused; Gillian later stated "He became very tense. I didn't mention it again because he frightened me and I wanted to keep him happy".[40]

The heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions had hampered the search;[22] two Army helicopters deployed to assist were soon grounded.[41] The search remained focused on the area between the crashed vehicle and the A6 road, house-to-house checks were conducted in villages within the search radius, such as Beeley and Rowsley. A search team also worked along the east side of the A619, reaching the Highwayman Inn on Baslow Road;[41] Pottery Cottage lay 200 yards away, to the north of the search radius.[42] Searches were called off in the early evening due to the adverse and worsening weather conditions.[43]

14 January 1977

The police search remained focused on the premise that Hughes would ultimately make his way towards the North West, repeat searches were conducted in key areas, additional manpower was drafted in[44] with more than 200 police officers searching within the local radius at any given time.[22]

Derbyshire Times: 14 January 1977

Hughes sent the Morans into Chesterfield to purchase supplies he'd need while on the run. During the journey, Richard tried to convince his wife that they should go to the Police, but fearing the repercussions for those still inside the house she refused.[45]

Hughes spent the afternoon preparing to leave, he took food and other items through to the annexe and relayed conversations he claimed he'd had with Sarah,[46] he then had the Morans drive him to Richard's place of work so he could steal the petty cash.[47][48]

Leaving Richard and Amy tied up and taking Gillian with him as a hostage, Hughes departed Pottery Cottage later that evening.[49] After driving for several miles, he insisted on returning to the house claiming to have forgotten a map, he went back inside alone. He was gone for a considerable time and upon his return the car wouldn't start, he sent Gillian unaccompanied to a neighbours house to ask for a tow, she alerted them to the hostage situation and not having a phone, they fled the scene to get help.[50] As Hughes angrily turned on Gillian for warning the neighbours' his attention immediately shifted to the sight of Amy Minton coming towards them and then collapsing; Gillian later stated: "I couldn't believe it [...] She staggered very slowly towards the car.[...] I could see mum lying on her back in the snow [...] I was petrified [...] I was at my wits'. Hughes forced Gillian to approach another neighbour for help, this time accompanying her and they were soon on their way.[51]

The scene at Pottery Cottage

Having been alerted by the Moran's neighbours, the Police arrived at Pottery Cottage just before 9 pm; they found Amy Minton's body, partially covered by snow, in the garden and the bodies of Richard and Sarah Moran and Arthur Minton inside the house[52] - all four had died as a result of multiple stab wounds to the throat and chest.[53] Despite Hughes maintaining the pretence that Arthur and Sarah were still alive throughout, both are thought to have been murdered on the first night.[7][30]

The chase

Crash site, Rainow, Cheshire: 14 January 1977

Although Hughes had a head-start, the police soon caught up with him and thus began a high speed, multiple-car chase across Derbyshire and into Cheshire, ending when he crashed into a wall in the village of Rainow.[54][7]

Quickly surrounded and with Detective Chief Inspector Peter Howse leading the hostage negotiation, Hughes held an axe over Gillian's head and demanded a vehicle in which to escape. As firearms officers moved into place, a getaway vehicle was provided but Gillian refused to move. Howse later recalled: "Their relationship as hostage and captor had reached breaking point".[55]

As Hughes made to strike Gillian with the axe, Howse jumped through the car window and tried to shield her while firearms officer Pell fired off the first shot; it took three further shots to incapacitate and kill him.[56][57] The final and fatal shot was fired by officer Alan Nicholls.[58] It was the first time an officer from Derbyshire Constabulary had shot anyone dead[59][60] and the first time British police had shot dead an escaped prisoner.[61]

Official inquiries

Chief Inspector of the Prison Service inquiry

Chief Inspector Gordon Fowler's report, issued March 1977, criticized the failure of management and staff at HMP Leicester to follow standard searching procedures after the knife disappeared from the prison kitchen. He was critical of the search methods used before prisoner transfers, recommending strip searches in all cases. He noted the lack of information provided by the Police to enable the Prison Service to categorise Hughes appropriately and he criticised the breakdown in communication between different prison departments which left his records incomplete.[13][62] He made seventeen recommendations to be implemented immediately,[63] all of which the Home Secretary, Merlyn Rees, accepted. Despite the issues highlighted in the report, disciplinary action wasn't initiated against any member of staff or management, as the failures were deemed to have been system failures and not the fault of any individual.[22]

The police were criticised for concentrating their search on routes from Chesterfield to Lancashire. The Home Secretary, Merlyn Rees, said the isolated or abandoned properties in bleak moorland would have been ideal for a fugitive hiding from the police and taking shelter, as Hughes did.[22]

Coroner's inquiry

The inquest into the deaths at Pottery Cottage and the shooting of Hughes took place in Chesterfield on 27 April 1977.[64] Home Office Pathologist, Dr Alan Usher, confirmed that the victims at Pottery Cottage had died as a result of multiple stab wounds and that Hughes had died from gunshot wounds.[57] Murder verdicts were returned for each of the victims at Pottery Cottage and a verdict of justifiable homicide in the case of Hughes.[65][64]


At the conclusion of the inquest, both Coroner and jury praised the bravery of Chief Inspector Howse for preventing Hughes from hitting Gillian Moran with the axe, with the latter recommending that he receive a commendation.[57] He was duly awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct[7][66]

Aftermath

The funeral service for Sarah and Richard Moran and Arthur and Amy Minton took place at Brimington Cemetery, Chesterfield on 21 January 1977. Gillian required a police escort and a switch of cars on the journey to keep the media at bay.[67]

Responsibility for arranging the funeral of Hughes fell to the Home Office and he was originally scheduled to be buried at Boythorpe Cemetery, Chesterfield on 25 January. This triggered a protest from local residents who did not want him buried in the Chesterfield locality, they threatened to dig up his grave if he was interred there[68] and they refilled the burial site prepared for the funeral.[69] The service was switched at the last minute, and he was cremated, ironically, at the same location as his victims.[70]

Gillian Moran sold the exclusive rights to her story to the Daily Mail; she was interviewed by Lynda Lee-Potter and her account was serialised in eight parts, starting 14 February 1977. Beyond this, she never spoke to the media again about the events at Pottery Cottage.[71] Howse met Gillian Moran again three months after the incident, where she thanked him for saving her life.[7] In 2017, Nicholls (who had died eight years previously) was posthumously awarded the Derbyshire Police Federation bravery award, which was accepted by his family.[59]

In 1982, a YTV film, titled "The Pottery Cottage Murders"[72] was in production; directed by David Green,[73] with a script written by Colin Shindler[74] and with Julie Walters playing Gillian, it was scrapped in 1983, partially due to "public revulsion".[75]

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 5.
  2. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 15-20.
  3. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 22-23.
  4. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 28-30.
  5. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 35-36, 40.
  6. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 45-46.
  7. ^ a b c d e "˜The bullet just bounced off his head and made him more wild". Lancashire Post. June 2, 2017.
  8. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 47.
  9. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 51.
  10. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 52-53.
  11. ^ Fowler, Gordon (1977). Report of an inquiry by the Chief Inspector of the Prison Service into security at HM Prison Leicester and the arrangements for conducting prisoners to courts (escape of William Thomas Hughes on 12 January 1977). Her Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 978-0-10-220277-9.
  12. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 50-51.
  13. ^ a b "Prison staff and police criticized over escape of man who killed four". The Times. 11 March 1977. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  14. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 75.
  15. ^ a b c d Lee & Howse 2020, p. 77.
  16. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 76.
  17. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 77-78.
  18. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 52.
  19. ^ "William Thomas Hughes". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 924. United Kingdom: House of Commons. January 17, 1977. col. 27-33.
  20. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 59-60.
  21. ^ Evans, Peter (26 May 1977). "Escort for prisoners 'still inadequate'". The Times. p. 5. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  22. ^ a b c d e f "William Thomas Hughes". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 927. United Kingdom: House of Commons. March 10, 1977. col. 1644-54.
  23. ^ "Escaped Prisoner's Murders - William Hughes". ATV Today. January 17, 1977 – via Media Archive for Central England.
  24. ^ a b "Escaped convict". ATV Today. January 13, 1977 – via Media Archive for Central England.
  25. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 67-68.
  26. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 73-74.
  27. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 74-75, 84.
  28. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 87-90.
  29. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 91-95.
  30. ^ a b "Timetable of terror". Birmingham Daily Post. 18 January 1977. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 96-97.
  32. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 72.
  33. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 103-104.
  34. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 104.
  35. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 103.
  36. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 107.
  37. ^ a b Lee & Howse 2020, p. 109-110.
  38. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 110-111.
  39. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 113-119.
  40. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 119-120.
  41. ^ a b Lee & Howse 2020, p. 101.
  42. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 78, 113.
  43. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 114.
  44. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 129.
  45. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 125.
  46. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 130.
  47. ^ "Hughes forced victims to steal". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 17 January 1977. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  48. ^ "Massacre house couple - story of cash raid". Reading Evening Post. 17 January 1977. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  49. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 135.
  50. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 136-139.
  51. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 140-141.
  52. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 147-149.
  53. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 177.
  54. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 151-156.
  55. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 169.
  56. ^ Osman, Arthur (28 April 1977). "Police shot Hughes 'to save woman hostage". The Times. p. 4. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  57. ^ a b c "Police hero saved woman from killer". Birmingham Daily Post. 28 April 1977. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  58. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 170-171.
  59. ^ a b Crowson, Isaac (22 November 2017). "The hero cop who brought mass murderer's rampage to an end". Derby Telegraph.
  60. ^ "40 Years On: Four members of same family held captive and killed by escaped convict in Derbyshire". Derbyshire Times. January 17, 2017.
  61. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 180.
  62. ^ "Report accuses prison staff and police on Hughes mix-up". Birmingham Daily Post. 11 March 1977. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  63. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 193.
  64. ^ a b Lee & Howse 2020, p. 194.
  65. ^ "Why we had to gun down rapist". Liverpool Echo. 27 April 1977. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  66. ^ "Peter Howse". Hachette UK. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  67. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 185.
  68. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 187-188.
  69. ^ Cremation of mass murderer William Hughes. ATV Today. 25 January 1977. Event occurs at 0.16 – via Mace.
  70. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 187.
  71. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 188-189.
  72. ^ "The Pottery Cottage Murders (1982)". www2.bfi.org.uk/. British Film Institute. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  73. ^ "David Green". www2.bfi.org.uk/. British Film Institute. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  74. ^ Lee & Howse 2020, p. 205.
  75. ^ "Pottery Cottage murder film shelved". Sunday Mirror. 7 August 1983. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Works cited

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