Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hyndburn Area.
 

Recall any crimes committed in the area? Where were you? I recall the day this occured, I was at school down the road from where it happened and it was all sealed off. A terrible day...
'Black Panther' who killed Baxenden man 'weeks from death' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

"Victim Derek Astin was the popular sub-postmaster of Baxenden Post Office on Manchester Road, living with his wife Marion, then 41, daughter Susan and son Stephen, 10, when he was killed on 6 September 1974, Susan woke at 4am.
Neilson, masked and dressed in black, had broken into the family home and Mr Astin was killed as he tried to protect his wife and children.
The family still live in Baxenden."

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

I thought this was another thread about the leader of the council :)

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hyndburn Area.
 

I was working for Arnold Riley's Bar Fitters, behind the Victoria pub on Many Rd at the time, and was also a regular in the Hargreaves Arms where all the CID did their drinking. I know it was mayhem on that morning I was stopped three times going to and from the workshop on that morning, I've never seen so many police as there was that morning they were like ants

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

My next door neighbour Steve (steve4qec) has written several books on local crimes - mostly murders (Murders are a big interest of his) a bit disconcerting him being just next door!!!! I'll dig out my copy and see if there's anything of interest.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hyndburn Area.
 

Did he do a kidnapping before or after he was at Baxenden? Did he kidnap a girl and keep her in a man hole on the moors or something?

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hyndburn Area.
 

The answer here -
Donald Neilson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

He had killed the postmaster at Harrogate before the Baxenden killing

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

No. From what I have read on here, that would be "Notorious Criminals";)

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

I would have thought that the most notorious crime around Accy was one that occured only about 4 yyears ago. The Coroner's verdict was murder; a man killed his wife and three daughters on a street just off Blackburn Rd.

Other than that, I suggest you look at some of the 16/17C stuff; there's alot there which would make a great read should someone take time to piece the stories togeather.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hyndburn Area.
 

Ya kestrelx he kidnapped heiress Lesley Whittle, in he Bridgnorth area of the midlands, she was found dead sometime later down a man hole

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

I can remember a murder in Great Harwood in the late sixties, think it was a woman who had a corner shop, don't think they ever caught any one for that, I remember there were extensive door to door police investigations in Ossy at the time as it was thought he had taken a bus out of Harwood bound for Ossy

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

i remember that well, a guy i knew found her, n a month later serious crime squad from manchester arrested me mate, after n anonymous tip off, was about 1 month later, n they asked him were he was on that sat, had no idea as we were just teenagers enjoying life, he was in cells a couple of days, crapping himself.:eek:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

I take it he was released? Anyone remember an incident in which a cafe was burned down in Accy for insurance and someone was sleeping inside and they died from the fire?

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

I recall that a man who was setting fire to his premises (in Abbey St I think) accidentally ignited himself and died. Thats what happens when you ignite petrol whilst you are standing in the fumes from it.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Our evil husbands - Manchester Evening News


the police said that despite the victims blood been found in the kitchen there was no evidence of the body parts been served up as food.

yep because it had probably been served up as chicken in a kebab or somat and teh evidence eaten ;)

i think it was the takeaway accross the road from the newsagents

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Vague memories of hearing a story about a chap being killed on Broadway - 20s or 30s I would think, something about the killer putting coins over the corpse's eyes.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

That's not the one, I am going back to early 90's I was told that someone burned a cafe down for the insurance not realising that a member of the family was asleep upstairs in the flat above the cafe. They died and the arsonists went to prison. Does that ring any bells?

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

yes only due to the fact that a certain pub landlord, remembered partnering him at dominos that sat aft, n he only remembered due to the fact they were unbeaten n made a bob or two,:eek: i mean lets be honest, i couldn't say wi any conviction were i was a month ago today, could you?:confused: not a great position to be in.:eek:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Could the first one on here be the one you're thinking of, Barrie?

Murder most horrid - Accrington Observer

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Yes, that is the one Wyn, remember vaguely my Dad talking about it and always remember the pennies on the eyes - he apparently thought that his impression would be left on the victim's eyes.
Real scary stuff when you were small.:eek:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

William Hodson
Private 69284 Cavalry Regiment.
Hodson was nicknamed Bronco when he returned to Accrington in the late 1920's, he had emigrated after WW1, when he reurned he was wearing a stetson, plus the fact he had served in a cavalry unit, hence the nickname Bronco.

Joseph Hurley
Sergent 240065 1/5st East Lancs
Fought at Gallipoli and in France where he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field.

Bronco & Joe had a long standing feud, people as they usually do, were always hinting that little Joe was the father of Bronco's children, this came to a head in 1935 when they and others had drawn their wages and were in Pleck Back. Bronco knocked little Joe down and then stamped of his head.

They were both employees of the firm that were erecting the electric pylons that pass over the Coppice.
attached is a picture of Sgt J. Hurley.
Retlaw.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

I could cashy:rolleyes::rolleyes::D

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Thanks Retlaw, that brought back more of what I heard my Dad saying - the head stamping in particular.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Stamped off his head? Back in those days he would have hung for that - wouldn't he?:eek:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Typo should have been stamped ON his head, yes he was sentenced to death. It was all in the local papers at the time.
My youngest sister was born just a few days earlier.


Retlaw.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Was it renamed the "Mumbye" curry house? ;)

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

In the 70s wasn't there a murder at a social club on Blackburn Road?

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Can't remember that un wadey, but on blackburn rd 64 or 65 July a guy i knew was murdered under the railway arch in town, think that was pretty notorious as there was much trouble oer it fer months after the event.:(

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

There was indeed,If my memory serves me well it was the stewardess of the Miners Club.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Am I wrong or was it a pakistani or west indian cashy, seems to be ringing bells:confused:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

that was Mrs Barker , she had the shop at the top end of Princess St. (made great Vimto iced lollies) and we lived at the bottom end . Lots of local gossip about who had done it , but no proof . The guy who the locals suspected got picked up not too long after for a rape and got what folk thought was an unusually long sentence into the double figures, wether it was just Karma or 'collusion' between the Police and the Judge .... who knows

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

They wouldn't do that, would they SJ:rolleyes:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

yep n the guy i knew was scotch.;)

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Seem to remember some insident involving a Pakistni back in the 60s cashy:confused:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Thanks for that

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

My grandmother used to tell me about a man in the Victoria St Accy area who chopped off the hands of his stepdaughter to stop her from playing the piano .

Knowing my Grandma , I could never know whether it was fact or fiction .

She told me the story of Sweeney Todd as fact .

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

seem to recall some mention of that somewhere on here a while back JCB.:confused:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Defintely fact. I seem to recall there's a whole thread about it somewhere on here. Remember my old fella telling me about this.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Thanks , I've found the thread . It's The lady with no hands.

Gruesome .

Sorry I don't know how to put on an easy link to it , Cashman .

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

No sooner said than done!

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...nds-34122.html

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Well she were armless enough:rolleyes::rolleyes::D

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Thanks Wynonie .

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

:smile::eek:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

yep thats was my grandma, was about 2 years before i was born.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

your mums mum or your dads mum phil?

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

There's a small display stand in the Market Hall today about Crimes of Lancashire....may be a touch of irony there!!:D

Best Regards - Taggy

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

my dads mum

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Or somebodies been reading Accy Web:rolleyes:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Well its certainly more informative than the Observer these days Jaysay!;)

Best Regards - Taggy

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Amen to that, its up-to-date not three weeks behind:rolleyes:

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

I got told that the Joe was acting father to Broncos kids or somthing like that . He was alway gauding Bronco that he was looking after his kids. Bronco lost it one day beat him up then stuck him on spiked railings. Joe took a while to die ... Joe nearly lasted a year and Bronco nearly got away with murder and would have done had Joe lated a little longer. From what I remember being told Bronco was in the black shirts and was a bit of a handful. He was released from prison after saving the life of a prison office once release he emigrated.
I might have mixed things up a little , I was told this by my grandad a while back ....he died in 1985, and I have a memory of a gold fish.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

Sorry Joe was already dead when the police arrived.
Bronco had emigrated just after the war, but came back, he always wore a stetson, thats why they nicknamed him Bronco Bill. A full account can be found in the local papers in 1935.
Retlaw

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hynburn Area.
 

the arson cafe fire was in 1987 and it was across from the esso garage down a small flight of steps on Abbey street, the man killed was called tony savoini who was asked by his brothers mark and vernon(used to be a doorman at funnies)to torch it,Unfortuanatly he stood in the doorway as he lit the match and suffered 90% burns,I know all this as i married his widow Heather and became stepdad to his 2 kids Tony & Joanne,infact the day after the fire on saturday afternoon Mark played football with me at townleypark,not a care in the world,They were both jailed for the offence of insurance fraud.

Re: Notorious Crimes in the Accrington Hyndburn Area.
 

Our evil husbands - Manchester Evening News


the police said that despite the victims blood been found in the kitchen there was no evidence of the body parts been served up as food.

yep because it had probably been served up as chicken in a kebab or somat and the evidence eaten

i think it was the takeaway accross the road from the newsagents





it put me off kebabs.... when sober ....