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{{Short description|English murderer}}
{{Short description|English murderer}}
{{Infobox serial killer
{{Infobox serial killer
| name = Neville Heath
| name = Neville Heath
| image = NevilleHeath.jpg
| image = NevilleHeath.jpg
| caption =
| caption = Heath in a June 1946 publication
| birthname = Neville George Clevely Heath
| birthname = Neville George Clevely Heath
| alias = The Lady Killer
| alias = The Lady Killer
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1917|6|6}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1917|6|6}}
| birth_place = [[Essex]], England
| birth_place = [[Ilford]], [[Essex, England]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1946|10|16|1917|6|6}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1946|10|16|1917|6|6}}
| death_place = [[Pentonville Prison]], London, England
| death_place = [[HM Prison Pentonville|Pentonville Prison]], [[London, England]]
| cause = Execution by [[hanging]]
| cause = [[Execution by hanging]]
| victims = 2
| victims = 2
| country = England, UK
| country = England, UK
| states =
| states =
| beginyear = 20 June 1946{{spaces}}
| beginyear = 20 June 1946{{spaces}}
| endyear = {{spaces}}3 July 1946<ref>''The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870-1970'' {{ISBN|978-1-854-71160-1}} pp. 394-399</ref>
| endyear = {{spaces}}3 July 1946<ref>''The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870-1970'' {{ISBN|978-1-854-71160-1}} pp. 394-399</ref>
| apprehended = 1946
| apprehended = 1946
| penalty = [[Capital punishment|Death]]
| penalty = [[Capital punishment|Death]]
| conviction = [[Murder]]
| criminal_status = [[Executed]]
}}
}}
'''Neville George Clevely Heath''' (6 June 1917 – 16 October 1946) was an English murderer who killed two young women in the summer of 1946. He was [[Capital punishment|executed]] in [[Pentonville Prison]], London in October 1946.
'''Neville George Clevely Heath''' (6 June 1917 – 16 October 1946) was an English murderer who killed two young women in the summer of 1946. He was [[Capital punishment|executed]] in [[Pentonville Prison]], [[London]], in October 1946.


==Early life and career==
==Early life and career==
Heath was born in [[Ilford]]<ref name="Echo">{{cite news|first=Ed|last=Perkins|title=The tragic tale of Wren Doreen Marshall who was murdered in Bournemouth|url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9543337.The_tragic_tale_of_Doreen_Marshall/|access-date=20 December 2016|work=[[Bournemouth Daily Echo|Daily Echo]]|date=21 February 2012}}</ref> in [[Essex]], England. Although he came from a [[lower middle class]] background, his father, who was a barber, made considerable financial sacrifices so that his son could attend a [[grammar school]], [[Rutlish School]], at [[Merton Park]] in southwest London.<ref>{{cite news|first=William|last=Leith|title=Handsome Murderer's Fatal Charm|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/books/handsome-murderer-s-fatal-charm-8494424.html|access-date=20 December 2016|work=[[Evening Standard]]|date=14 February 2013}}</ref>
Neville Heath was born in [[Ilford]], [[Essex]].<ref name="Echo">{{cite news|first=Ed|last=Perkins|title=The tragic tale of Wren Doreen Marshall who was murdered in Bournemouth|url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9543337.The_tragic_tale_of_Doreen_Marshall/|access-date=20 December 2016|work=[[Bournemouth Daily Echo|Daily Echo]]|date=21 February 2012}}</ref> Although he came from a [[lower middle class]] background, his father, who was a barber, made considerable financial sacrifices so that his son could attend [[Rutlish School]], a prestigious [[grammar school]] in [[Merton Park]], [[London]].<ref>{{cite news|first=William|last=Leith|title=Handsome Murderer's Fatal Charm|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/books/handsome-murderer-s-fatal-charm-8494424.html|access-date=20 December 2016|work=[[Evening Standard]]|date=14 February 2013}}</ref>


He joined the [[Royal Air Force]] in 1937, but was [[dishonorable discharge|dismissed]] for going [[absent without leave]].<ref>(See "One of the Few" by Gp. Capt. J.A. Kent, Ch. 2, about 4 pages from end of chapter)</ref> He was caught [[obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception|obtaining credit by fraud]], and six months later was sent to a [[borstal]] for housebreaking and forgery.<ref name="Echo"/> He used a number of [[Pseudonym|alias]]es, including Lord Dudley and Lieutenant-Colonel Armstrong.
Heath joined the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in 1937, but was [[dishonorable discharge|dismissed]] for going [[absent without leave]].<ref>(See "One of the Few" by Gp. Capt. J.A. Kent, Ch. 2, about 4 pages from end of chapter)</ref> He was later caught [[obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception|obtaining credit by fraud]], and six months later was sent to a [[borstal]] for [[burglary|housebreaking]] and [[forgery]].<ref name="Echo"/> Heath used a number of [[Pseudonym|alias]]es, including Lord Dudley and Lieutenant-Colonel Armstrong.


At the beginning of the [[Second World War]], Heath joined the [[Royal Army Service Corps]] and was posted to the [[Middle East]]. After less than a year he was shipped home, but on the way he escaped the guard and went to [[Johannesburg]] where he joined the [[South African Air Force]], eventually rising to the rank of captain. He married, and the couple had a son, but at the end of the war his wife divorced him on grounds of desertion. He was also [[court martial]]led, for wearing medals to which he was not entitled. He returned to Britain in February 1946.
At the beginning of the [[World War II|Second World War]], Heath joined the [[Royal Army Service Corps]] (RASC) and was posted to the [[Middle East]]. After less than a year he was shipped home, but escaped the guard during the journey and went to [[Johannesburg]]. There he joined the [[South African Air Force]] (SAAF), eventually rising to the rank of captain. Heath married and had a son, but at the end of the war his wife divorced him on grounds of desertion. He was also [[court martial]]led for [[military impostor|wearing medals to which he was not entitled]].


In the summer of 1946, Heath had a dinner date with the South African actress [[Moira Lister]], between his two murders.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1567777/Moira-Lister.html|title=Moira Lister|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=30 October 2007|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Lister|first=Moira|title=The Very Merry Moiradate=1 December 1969|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|isbn=9780340106327|year=1969}}</ref> The Scottish actress [[Molly Weir]] said Heath had tried to chat her up at Bobby's department store in [[Bournemouth]] in July 1946.<ref>''Stepping Into the Spotlight'' (1975) by [[Molly Weir]].</ref>
Heath returned to Britain in February 1946. Several months later, in the midst of his murder spree, he had a dinner date with the South African actress [[Moira Lister]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1567777/Moira-Lister.html|title=Moira Lister|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=30 October 2007|access-date=3 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Lister|first=Moira|title=The Very Merry Moira|date=1 December 1969|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|isbn=9780340106327|year=1969}}</ref> Scottish actress [[Molly Weir]] later reported that Heath had tried to chat her up at a department store in [[Bournemouth]] in July 1946.<ref>''Stepping Into the Spotlight'' (1975) by [[Molly Weir]].</ref>


==Murders==
==Murders==
On Sunday 16 June 1946, Heath took a room at the Pembridge Court Hotel in [[Notting Hill Gate]]. He used his real name, but added the rank of [[Lieutenant-Colonel]]. He was with a woman, Yvonne Symonds, who he said was his wife; in fact they had only just met. Heath had promised to marry her, so she spent the night with him and returned to her home the next day.
On Sunday 16 June 1946, Heath took a room at the Pembridge Court Hotel in [[Notting Hill Gate]] in London. He used his real name but added the rank of [[lieutenant-colonel]]. He was accompanied by a woman, Yvonne Symonds, who he said was his wife; in fact they had only just met. Heath had promised to marry Symonds, so she spent the night with him and returned home the next day.


===Margery Gardner===
===Margery Gardner===
The following Thursday, Heath spent the evening with Margery Gardner. She was 32 years old, a trained artist and occasional [[film extra]]. Separated from her alcoholic husband, she had a young daughter but was living alone in [[Earl's Court]], London. Heath and Gardner had been dancing together at the Panama Club in [[Kensington]]. The following day the assistant manager entered Heath's room as the [[maid|chambermaid]] had been unable to gain entry. Gardner's body was found naked on the bed but covered to the neck with sheets. Her ankles were bound, and marks showed that her wrists had been too but the restraints had been removed. There were 17 lash marks on her body, her nipples had been savagely bitten, and an instrument had been inserted into her vagina.
On 20 June 1946, Heath spent the evening with Margery Gardner (32), a trained artist and occasional [[film extra]]. [[Marital separation|Separated]] from her alcoholic husband, Gardner had a young daughter but was living alone in [[Earl's Court]]. Heath and Gardner had been dancing together at the Panama Club in [[Kensington]]. The following day, the assistant manager at the Pembridge Court Hotel entered Heath's room after the [[maid|chambermaid]] had been unable to gain entry. Gardner's body was found naked on the bed but covered to the neck with sheets. Her ankles were bound, and marks showed that her wrists had been as well but the restraints had been removed. There were seventeen lash marks on her body, her nipples had been savagely bitten, and an instrument had been inserted into her vagina.


The whip that had inflicted the slash marks on her body was nowhere to be seen. These marks showed the distinctive diamond pattern of a woven leather riding crop. Forensic pathologist [[Keith Simpson (pathologist)|Keith Simpson]] told the police, "Find that whip and you’ve found your man."<ref>'Handsome Brute' (2013), Sean O'Connor p.99</ref> Professor Simpson estimated Gardner's time of death as between midnight and the early hours of the morning. The police learned that Heath and Gardner had arrived at the hotel around midnight, and that nothing had been heard until a door slammed at 1:30am. The cause of death was suffocation, but only after the other injuries had been inflicted.
The slash marks on Gardner's body showed the distinctive diamond pattern of a woven leather [[riding crop]], but the weapon was not found at the scene. Forensic pathologist [[Keith Simpson (pathologist)|Keith Simpson]] told police, "Find that whip and you’ve found your man."<ref>'Handsome Brute' (2013), Sean O'Connor p.99</ref> Simpson estimated Gardner's time of death as between midnight and the early hours of the morning. Police learned that Heath and Gardner had arrived at the hotel around midnight, and that nothing had been heard until a door slammed at 1:30am. The cause of death was suffocation, but only after the other injuries had been inflicted.


===Doreen Marshall===
===Doreen Marshall===
Heath went to [[Worthing]] to see Symonds, the woman he had proposed to, and spent a few days with her. Her parents were impressed with the supposed Lieutenant-Colonel, but he left when his name appeared in the newspapers in relation to Gardner's murder. He then went to [[Bournemouth]] and took a room at the Tollard Royal Hotel, under the alias "Group Captain Rupert Brook", an alias inspired by the war poet [[Rupert Brooke]], who had been a frequent visitor to Bournemouth at the start of the century. A few days after beginning his stay at the hotel, he met Doreen Margaret Marshall, who was staying at the Norfolk Hotel.
Heath went to [[Worthing]] and spent a few days with Symonds. Her parents were impressed with the supposed lieutenant-colonel, but he left when his name appeared in the newspapers in relation to Gardner's murder. He then went to [[Bournemouth]] and took a room at the Tollard Royal Hotel under the name "Group Captain Rupert Brook", an alias inspired by the war poet [[Rupert Brooke]]. A few days after beginning his stay at the hotel, he met Doreen Margaret Marshall, who was staying at the [[Norfolk Royale Hotel|Norfolk Hotel]].


Marshall was born in [[Brentford]] in 1924,<ref>Register of Births, September Qtr 1924, Brentford, vol 3a, page 273</ref> to company director Charles Marshall and his wife Grace Merritt.<ref>Register of Marriages, December Qtr 1941, Hendon, vol 3a, page 1502</ref> She had served in the [[Women's Royal Naval Service|WRNS]] during the war, having been discharged on 27 June 1946. Suffering from a bout of [[influenza]] and [[measles]], she took a holiday in Bournemouth to convalesce. During the war, Bournemouth had become a garrison town, with most of the hotels taken over as billets for troops; one hotel, the Norfolk, on Richmond Hill near the town centre, remained open to civilian guests,<ref>Lives and times of the Mayors of Bournemouth, Bournemouth Council, 2000</ref> and this is where she stayed.
Marshall was born in [[Brentford]] in 1924,<ref>Register of Births, September Qtr 1924, Brentford, vol 3a, page 273</ref> to company director Charles Marshall and his wife Grace Merritt.<ref>Register of Marriages, December Qtr 1941, Hendon, vol 3a, page 1502</ref> She had served in the [[Women's Royal Naval Service]] (WRNS) during the war and had been discharged on 27 June 1946. Suffering from a bout of [[influenza]] and [[measles]], she took a holiday in Bournemouth to convalesce.
[[File:Doreen_Marshall_Neville_Heath_1946_Pearl_NecklaceA.jpg|upright|thumb|Doreen Marshall]]
Only five minutes from her hotel was the seafront, where 100-foot sandy cliffs framed the beach, and were held back by a low sea wall with a promenade. Whilst walking along the prom on Wednesday, 3 July, Marshall encountered Neville Heath who was, at first sight, handsome and well-spoken.<ref name="ReferenceA">Roger Guttridge ''Dorset Murders'', 1990</ref> He again introduced himself as "Group Captain Rupert Brook."


During the war, Bournemouth had become a garrison town, with most of the hotels taken over as [[billet]]s for British troops. [[Norfolk Royale Hotel|The Norfolk Hotel]], located on [[Richmond Hill, Bournemouth|Richmond Hill]] near the [[Bournemouth Town Centre|town centre]], remained open to civilian guests.<ref>{{cite book | title = Lives and times of the Mayors of Bournemouth |publisher= Bournemouth Council | year= 2000}}</ref> Only five minutes from the hotel was the seafront, where {{convert|100|ft|adj=on}} sandy cliffs framed the beach, and were held back by a low sea wall with a [[promenade]]. Whilst walking along the promenade on 3 July, Marshall encountered Heath, who again introduced himself as Group Captain Rupert Brook.<ref name= "ReferenceA">Roger Guttridge ''Dorset Murders'', 1990</ref>
She accepted Heath's invitation to take afternoon tea at his hotel at the top of the cliffs, the Tollard Royal. She spent the afternoon with him and, feeling lonely in Bournemouth, she accepted his further invitation to dine with him that evening. After dinner, Heath took Marshall to the hotel lounge to listen to dance music on the [[Radio|wireless]]. By now, Marshall was clearly uncomfortable with Heath, and asked another guest to call a taxi for her, claiming she was tired. Heath cancelled the taxi and offered to walk her home. On leaving the hotel, Heath told the porter that he would be half an hour. Marshall corrected him: "He will only be a quarter of an hour." This was the last time she was seen alive.


Initially impressed with Heath's looks and manner, Marshall accepted his invitation to take afternoon tea at the Tollard Royal Hotel, where he was staying. Marshall spent the afternoon with Heath and, feeling lonely in Bournemouth, she accepted his further invitation to dine with him that evening. After dinner, Heath took Marshall to the hotel lounge to listen to dance music on the [[Radio|wireless]]. By now, Marshall was clearly uncomfortable with Heath and asked another guest to call a taxi for her, claiming she was tired. Heath cancelled the taxi and offered to walk her home. On leaving the hotel, Heath told the [[Doorman (profession)|porter]] that he would be half an hour; Marshall corrected him: "He will only be a quarter of an hour." This was the last time Marshall was seen alive.
Marshall's disappearance was reported to the police by the manager of the Norfolk Hotel on Friday, 5 July, who also contacted the manager of the Tollard Royal, as this is where he knew she had dined on the night she disappeared. The manager of the Tollard Royal advised Heath to contact the police in case he had any information which might help them. On Saturday, 6 July, Heath duly telephoned [[Detective Constable]] Suter at Bournemouth Police Station and said he might be able to help. He went to the police station and from a photograph of Doreen Marshall identified her as the girl he had been with, but said he had left her in the gardens in central Bournemouth.


Marshall's disappearance was reported to police by the manager of the Norfolk Hotel on 5 July. He also contacted the manager of the Tollard Royal, knowing that she had dined there on the night she disappeared. The manager of the Tollard Royal advised Heath to contact police in case he had any information which might help them. The following day, Heath duly telephoned [[Detective Constable]] Suter at Bournemouth police station and offered to help. He went to the police station and from a photograph identified Marshall as the woman he had been with, but claimed he had left her in the gardens in central Bournemouth.
That day, her father and sister, Charles Marshall and Joan Cruickshanks, had travelled down to Bournemouth very concerned about Doreen. When they arrived at Bournemouth Police Station, by chance they met Heath under his assumed name, who was introduced to the Marshalls by Suter. He joked to them about his similarity to the wanted poster of the murderer Neville Heath. Suter felt sure that "Brook" was the man wanted by [[Scotland Yard]], and asked, "Isn't your name Heath?" Heath denied it and said he wanted to return to the hotel for his coat. The police fetched it for him and searched it. They found a railway cloakroom ticket, which led them to a suitcase containing a riding whip with a diamond pattern weave. Heath was questioned again, and he admitted his real identity. The next day he was transferred to London where he was charged with the murder of Margery Gardner.


Later that day, Marshall's father and sister, Charles Marshall and Joan Cruickshanks, arrived at Bournemouth police station and by chance met Heath under his assumed name, who was introduced by Suter. "Brook" joked to them about his similarity to the wanted poster of the murderer Neville Heath. Suter felt sure that he was the man wanted by [[Scotland Yard]], asking, "Isn't your name Heath?" Heath denied it and said he wanted to return to the hotel for his coat. The police fetched it for him and searched it, finding a railway cloakroom ticket, which in turn led them to a suitcase containing a riding whip with a diamond pattern weave. Under questioning, Heath admitted his real identity. The next day he was transferred to London, where he was charged with the murder of Margery Gardner.
Despite the efforts of the Bournemouth Police, Marshall's whereabouts remained a mystery until Sunday, 7 July, when waitress Kathleen Evans, out walking her dog, noticed a swarm of flies by a [[rhododendron]] thicket in [[Branksome Park|Branksome Dene Chine]]. Further investigation revealed Marshall's body, badly mutilated, with the clothing removed. Wounds found on her hands suggested she had grasped defensively at a knife. She had received blows to her head, her wrists and ankles had been tied, one nipple had been bitten off and her throat had been slashed. As with Margery Gardner, an instrument, possibly a branch, had been inserted into her vagina. She also had a large gash that ran from the inside of her thigh up to her mutilated breast. Some of her possessions were found at the beach huts at [[Alum Chine]].


Marshall's whereabouts remained a mystery until 7 July, when waitress Kathleen Evans, out walking her dog, noticed a swarm of flies by a [[rhododendron]] thicket in [[Branksome Park|Branksome Dene Chine]]. Further investigation revealed Marshall's naked body, badly mutilated. Wounds found on her hands suggested she had grasped defensively at a knife. She had received blows to her head, her wrists and ankles had been tied, one nipple had been bitten off, and her throat had been slashed. As with Gardner an instrument, possibly a branch, had been inserted into her vagina. She also had a large gash that ran from the inside of her thigh up to her mutilated breast. Some of her possessions were found at the beach huts at [[Alum Chine]].
Although Heath was charged with Doreen's murder, his subsequent trial and execution related only to his earlier murder of Margery Gardner. Doreen's body was returned to her parents and buried in [[Pinner]] Cemetery.

Although Heath was charged with Doreen's murder, his subsequent trial and execution related only to his earlier murder of Gardner. Marshall's body was returned to her parents and buried in [[Pinner]] Cemetery.


==Trial and execution==
==Trial and execution==
The trial of Neville Heath for the murder of Margery Gardner began on 24 September 1946. Heath originally told his counsel, [[J. D. Casswell]] [[Queen's Counsel|KC]], to plead guilty, but when Casswell questioned this, he said, "All right, put me down as not guilty, old boy".<ref name=thomas115>{{cite book | author=Donald Serrell Thomas | title=Villains' paradise: a history of Britain's underworld | publisher=Pegasus Books | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-933648-17-0 | page=[https://archive.org/details/villainsparadise00dona/page/115 115] | author-link=Donald Serrell Thomas | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/villainsparadise00dona/page/115 }}</ref> Casswell chose not to call him to give evidence, and relied on the defence of insanity, calling William Henry de Bargue Hubert, an experienced criminal psychiatrist, to testify as an expert witness. Hubert testified that he believed Heath knew what he was doing but not that it was morally wrong, but the prosecution easily destroyed Hubert's argument; unknown to Casswell, Hubert was a drug addict and was under the influence of [[morphine]] as he testified in the witness box.<ref name=thomas115/>
Heath's trial began on 24 September 1946 – evidence from the case is still in the [[Crime Museum]] at New Scotland Yard. Heath originally told his counsel, [[J. D. Casswell]] [[King's Counsel|KC]], to plead guilty, but when Casswell questioned this, he said, "All right, put me down as not guilty, old boy".<ref name=thomas115>{{cite book | author=Donald Serrell Thomas | title=Villains' paradise: a history of Britain's underworld | publisher=Pegasus Books | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-933648-17-0 | page=[https://archive.org/details/villainsparadise00dona/page/115 115] | author-link=Donald Serrell Thomas | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/villainsparadise00dona/page/115 }}</ref> Casswell chose not to call Heath to give evidence and relied on the [[insanity defense|defence of insanity]], calling William Henry de Bargue Hubert, an experienced criminal psychiatrist, to testify as an [[expert witness]]. Hubert testified that he believed Heath knew what he was doing but not that it was morally wrong, but the [[prosecution]] easily destroyed Hubert's argument; unknown to Casswell, Hubert was a drug addict and was under the influence of [[morphine]] as he testified in the witness box.<ref name=thomas115/>


Two prison doctors testified that although Heath was a [[psychopath]] and a [[sexual sadism|sexual sadist]], he was not insane. Heath was found guilty and sentenced to death by [[hanging]]. He was executed by [[Albert Pierrepoint]] on Wednesday, 16 October 1946 at [[Pentonville Prison]]. A few minutes prior to his execution, as was the custom, Heath was offered a glass of whisky by the governor. A [[playboy (lifestyle)|playboy]] to the last, Heath replied, "While you're about it, sir, you might make that a double".<ref>O'Connor, op.cit, p.382</ref>
Two prison doctors testified that although Heath was a [[psychopath]] and a [[sexual sadism|sexual sadist]], he was not insane. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by [[hanging]] by [[John Morris, Baron Morris of Borth-y-Gest|Mr Justice Morris]]. Heath was executed by [[Albert Pierrepoint]] on 16 October 1946 at [[HM Prison Pentonville|Pentonville Prison]]. A few minutes prior to his execution, as was the custom, he was offered a glass of whisky by the prison governor. Heath replied, "While you're about it, sir, you might make that a double".<ref>O'Connor, op.cit, p.382</ref>


In a final letter written to his parents prior to his execution, Heath informed his parents: "My only regret at leaving the world, is that I have been [[Damnation|damned]] unworthy of you both."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.executedtoday.com/2013/10/16/1946-neville-heath-torture-killer/comment-page-1/ |title=Executed Today: Neville Heath|publisher=executedtoday.com |date=13 October 2013 |access-date=19 August 2017}}</ref>
In a final letter written to his parents prior to his execution, Heath informed his parents: "My only regret at leaving the world, is that I have been damned unworthy of you both."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.executedtoday.com/2013/10/16/1946-neville-heath-torture-killer/comment-page-1/ |title=Executed Today: Neville Heath|publisher=executedtoday.com |date=13 October 2013 |access-date=19 August 2017}}</ref>


=== Mistaken identity ===
=== Mistaken identity ===
In February 1946, a few months before the murders, a woman, Pauline Brees, was found naked and tied up in a hotel bedroom in the [[Strand Palace Hotel]], London. Heath stood over the woman, ready to thrash her. Hotel staff had been alerted by her screaming and forced entry to the room, but she subsequently refused to press charges against Heath in order to avoid publicity. When Margery Gardner's body was found in June, Gardner was mistakenly identified by the staff at the Strand Palace as having been involved in this incident in February.
In February 1946, a few months before the murders, a woman named Pauline Brees was found naked and tied up in a room at the [[Strand Palace Hotel]] in London. Heath stood over the woman, ready to thrash her. Hotel staff had been alerted by her screaming and forced entry to the room, but she subsequently refused to press charges against Heath in order to avoid publicity. When Gardner's body was found in June, Gardner was mistakenly identified by the staff at the Strand Palace as having been involved in this incident in February.


This identification was reported in the press at the time as fact, suggesting that Gardner had gone to the Pembridge Court Hotel fully aware of Heath's taste in sexual proclivities and that she, therefore, must have had some sort of masochistic tendency. Despite the assumptions of many studies of the case to date, there is little actual evidence for this. Sean O'Connor suggests that Heath barely knew Margery Gardner, and that they had never spent the night together before the night he killed her.<ref>O'Connor, op.cit, p.368-70</ref>
This identification was reported in the press at the time as fact, suggesting that Gardner had gone to the Pembridge Court Hotel fully aware of Heath's sexual proclivities and that she, therefore, must have had some sort of [[masochism|masochistic]] tendency. Despite the assumptions of many studies of the case to date, there is little actual evidence for this. Producer [[Sean O'Connor (producer)|Sean O'Connor]] suggests that Heath barely knew Margery Gardner, and that they had never spent the night together before the night he killed her.<ref>O'Connor, op.cit, p.368-70</ref>


==References in media==
==References in media==
*In ''Handsome Brute: The Story of a Ladykiller'' (2013), [[Sean O'Connor (producer)|Sean O'Connor]] examines previously restricted files from the Home Office and Metropolitan Police.
* In ''Handsome Brute: The Story of a Ladykiller'' (2013), Sean O'Connor examines previously restricted files from the [[Home Office]] and [[Metropolitan Police]].
*Heath inspired the character played by [[Dennis Price]] in the film ''[[Holiday Camp (film)|Holiday Camp]]'' (1947).
* Heath inspired the character played by [[Dennis Price]] in the film ''[[Holiday Camp (film)|Holiday Camp]]'' (1947).
*Heath's case has been suggested as the basis for three novels by [[Patrick Hamilton (writer)|Patrick Hamilton]]: ''[[The West Pier]]'', ''Mr Stimpson & Mr Gorse'' and ''Unknown Assailant''.<ref>Back cover copy to 2013 reprint of the [[Gorse Trilogy]]</ref>
* Heath's case has been suggested as the basis for three novels by [[Patrick Hamilton (writer)|Patrick Hamilton]]: ''[[The West Pier]]'', ''Mr Stimpson & Mr Gorse'' and ''Unknown Assailant''.<ref>Back cover copy to 2013 reprint of the [[Gorse Trilogy]]</ref>
* [[Barry Foster (actor)|Barry Foster]] said that Heath was the inspiration for his portrayal of Robert Rusk in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s 1972 film ''[[Frenzy (film)|Frenzy]]''; Hitchcock gave him two books written on Heath to read as background for the character. The [[List of unproduced Alfred Hitchcock projects#Frenzy (a.k.a. Kaleidoscope) (1964–1967)|unproduced Hitchcock project ''Kaleidoscope'']] which predated ''Frenzy'' had been inspired by Heath.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barber |first1=Nicholas |title=Why Hitchcock's Kaleidoscope was too shocking to be made |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180620-why-hitchcocks-kaleidoscope-was-too-shocking-to-be-made |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 June 2018 |language=en |date=21 June 2018}}</ref>
* [[Barry Foster (actor)|Barry Foster]] said that Heath was the inspiration for his portrayal of Robert Rusk in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s 1972 film ''[[Frenzy (film)|Frenzy]]''; Hitchcock gave him two books written on Heath to read as background for the character. The [[List of unproduced Alfred Hitchcock projects#Frenzy (a.k.a. Kaleidoscope) (1964–1967)|unproduced Hitchcock project ''Kaleidoscope'']] which predated ''Frenzy'' had been inspired by Heath.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barber |first1=Nicholas |title=Why Hitchcock's Kaleidoscope was too shocking to be made |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180620-why-hitchcocks-kaleidoscope-was-too-shocking-to-be-made |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 June 2018 |language=en |date=21 June 2018}}</ref>
*The lead role of a murderer in the film [[Eyewitness (1956 film)|''Eyewitness'']] was a change of pace for actor [[Donald Sinden]], who did extensive research for the part, modelling his performance on Heath.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44803823 |title=NEW DEAL FOR STAR. |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | date=4 April 1956 |access-date=10 July 2012 |page=52 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
* The lead role of a murderer in the film [[Eyewitness (1956 film)|''Eyewitness'']] was a change of pace for actor [[Donald Sinden]], who did extensive research for the part, modelling his performance on Heath.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44803823 |title=NEW DEAL FOR STAR. |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | date=4 April 1956 |access-date=10 July 2012 |page=52 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
* The story featured in the 'Neville Heath' episode of the 1949-51 Radio series ''Secrets of Scotland Yard''<ref>{{cite web |title=Secrets of Scotland Yard - 'Neville Heath' |url=http://ia804709.us.archive.org/28/items/OTRR_Secrets_Of_Scotland_Yard_Singles/SecretsOfScotlandYardxx-xx-xx_xxx_NevilleHeath.mp3 |access-date=29 March 2023 |website=Fourble 'Secrets of Scotland Yard'}}</ref>
* Heath is featured in the first episode of season three of the comedy drama ''[[Shine On Harvey Moon]]'', in which "[[Squadron Leader]]" Rupert Brook invites Rita Moon to spend the weekend with him in Bournemouth. She accepts but stands him up when Lou Louis is taken ill - Heath sets off for Bournemouth alone, in a bad temper.


==Notes==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}


==References==
===Works cited===
* {{cite book|last=Critchley|first=Macdonald|chapter=Neville George Clevely Heath|title=Famous Trials 5|editor=Hodge, James H.|publisher=Penguin|year=1955|pages=55–106}}
* {{cite book |last=Honeycombe |first=Gordon |year=1982 |title=The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970 |place=London |publisher=Bloomsbury Books |isbn=978-1-854-71160-1}}
* {{cite book |title= Forty Years of Murder|last= Simpson|first= Keith|author-link= Keith Simpson (pathologist)|publisher= HarperCollins|location= London}}
* {{cite book |title=One of the Few |first=Gp. Capt. J. A. |last=Kent |publisher=Corgi |at=Character reference for Heath, four pages from end Ch. 2.}}
* {{cite book |title = One of the Few|author = Gp. Capt. J.A. Kent|publisher=Corgi | at=Character reference for Heath, four pages from end Ch. 2.}}
* {{cite book |title=Handsome Brute |first=Sean |last=O'Connor |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2013}}
* {{cite book | title=A lance for liberty | author=Joshua David Casswell | publisher=Harrap | year=1961 | page=237 | chapter=My fourth client to be hanged }}
* {{cite book |title = Handsome Brute|author = Sean O'Connor|publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2013}}


==Cited works and further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |title=A Lance for liberty |first=Joshua David |last=Casswell |publisher=Harrap |year=1961 |page=237 |chapter=My fourth client to be hanged |ref=none}}
* Honeycombe, Gordon (1982). The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970. London: Bloomsbury Books. {{ISBN|978-1-854-71160-1}}.
* {{cite book |last=Critchley |first=Macdonald |chapter=Neville George Clevely Heath |title=Famous Trials 5 |editor-last=Hodge |editor-first=James H. |publisher=Penguin |year=1955 |pages=55–106 |ref=none}}
* Lane, Brian (1991). The Murder Guide to Great Britain. London: Robinson Publishing Ltd. {{ISBN|1-854-87083-1}}.
* {{cite book |last=Lane |first=Brian |year=1991 |title=The Murder Guide to Great Britain |place=London |publisher=Robinson Publishing |isbn=1-854-87083-1 |ref=none}}
* Waddell, Bill (1993). The Black Museum: New Scotland Yard. London: Little, Brown and Company. {{ISBN|978-0-751-51033-1}}.
* {{cite book |title=Forty Years of Murder |last= Simpson |first=Keith |author-link=Keith Simpson (pathologist) |publisher=HarperCollins |location=London |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Waddell |first=Bill |year=1993 |title=The Black Museum: New Scotland Yard |place=London |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |isbn=978-0-751-51033-1 |ref=none}}


==External links==
==External links==
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[[Category:People convicted of forgery]]
[[Category:Impostors]]
[[Category:Impostors]]
[[Category:1940s murders in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1946 murders in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1946 crimes in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1946 murders in Europe]]
[[Category:People convicted of murder by England and Wales]]
[[Category:People convicted of murder by England and Wales]]
[[Category:People educated at Rutlish School]]
[[Category:People educated at Rutlish School]]
[[Category:People executed for murder]]
[[Category:British people executed for murder]]
[[Category:People from Ilford]]
[[Category:People from Ilford]]
[[Category:People with antisocial personality disorder]]
[[Category:People with antisocial personality disorder]]
[[Category:Violence against women in England]]
[[Category:Violence against women in England]]
[[Category:People with sexual sadism disorder]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:British military personnel who were court-martialled]]
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[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]

Latest revision as of 02:32, 9 April 2024

Neville Heath
Heath in a June 1946 publication
Born
Neville George Clevely Heath

(1917-06-06)6 June 1917
Died16 October 1946(1946-10-16) (aged 29)
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Other namesThe Lady Killer
Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims2
Span of crimes
20 June 1946  –  3 July 1946[1]
CountryEngland, UK
Date apprehended
1946

Neville George Clevely Heath (6 June 1917 – 16 October 1946) was an English murderer who killed two young women in the summer of 1946. He was executed in Pentonville Prison, London, in October 1946.

Early life and career

[edit]

Neville Heath was born in Ilford, Essex.[2] Although he came from a lower middle class background, his father, who was a barber, made considerable financial sacrifices so that his son could attend Rutlish School, a prestigious grammar school in Merton Park, London.[3]

Heath joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1937, but was dismissed for going absent without leave.[4] He was later caught obtaining credit by fraud, and six months later was sent to a borstal for housebreaking and forgery.[2] Heath used a number of aliases, including Lord Dudley and Lieutenant-Colonel Armstrong.

At the beginning of the Second World War, Heath joined the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) and was posted to the Middle East. After less than a year he was shipped home, but escaped the guard during the journey and went to Johannesburg. There he joined the South African Air Force (SAAF), eventually rising to the rank of captain. Heath married and had a son, but at the end of the war his wife divorced him on grounds of desertion. He was also court martialled for wearing medals to which he was not entitled.

Heath returned to Britain in February 1946. Several months later, in the midst of his murder spree, he had a dinner date with the South African actress Moira Lister.[5][6] Scottish actress Molly Weir later reported that Heath had tried to chat her up at a department store in Bournemouth in July 1946.[7]

Murders

[edit]

On Sunday 16 June 1946, Heath took a room at the Pembridge Court Hotel in Notting Hill Gate in London. He used his real name but added the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was accompanied by a woman, Yvonne Symonds, who he said was his wife; in fact they had only just met. Heath had promised to marry Symonds, so she spent the night with him and returned home the next day.

Margery Gardner

[edit]

On 20 June 1946, Heath spent the evening with Margery Gardner (32), a trained artist and occasional film extra. Separated from her alcoholic husband, Gardner had a young daughter but was living alone in Earl's Court. Heath and Gardner had been dancing together at the Panama Club in Kensington. The following day, the assistant manager at the Pembridge Court Hotel entered Heath's room after the chambermaid had been unable to gain entry. Gardner's body was found naked on the bed but covered to the neck with sheets. Her ankles were bound, and marks showed that her wrists had been as well but the restraints had been removed. There were seventeen lash marks on her body, her nipples had been savagely bitten, and an instrument had been inserted into her vagina.

The slash marks on Gardner's body showed the distinctive diamond pattern of a woven leather riding crop, but the weapon was not found at the scene. Forensic pathologist Keith Simpson told police, "Find that whip and you’ve found your man."[8] Simpson estimated Gardner's time of death as between midnight and the early hours of the morning. Police learned that Heath and Gardner had arrived at the hotel around midnight, and that nothing had been heard until a door slammed at 1:30am. The cause of death was suffocation, but only after the other injuries had been inflicted.

Doreen Marshall

[edit]

Heath went to Worthing and spent a few days with Symonds. Her parents were impressed with the supposed lieutenant-colonel, but he left when his name appeared in the newspapers in relation to Gardner's murder. He then went to Bournemouth and took a room at the Tollard Royal Hotel under the name "Group Captain Rupert Brook", an alias inspired by the war poet Rupert Brooke. A few days after beginning his stay at the hotel, he met Doreen Margaret Marshall, who was staying at the Norfolk Hotel.

Marshall was born in Brentford in 1924,[9] to company director Charles Marshall and his wife Grace Merritt.[10] She had served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) during the war and had been discharged on 27 June 1946. Suffering from a bout of influenza and measles, she took a holiday in Bournemouth to convalesce.

During the war, Bournemouth had become a garrison town, with most of the hotels taken over as billets for British troops. The Norfolk Hotel, located on Richmond Hill near the town centre, remained open to civilian guests.[11] Only five minutes from the hotel was the seafront, where 100-foot (30 m) sandy cliffs framed the beach, and were held back by a low sea wall with a promenade. Whilst walking along the promenade on 3 July, Marshall encountered Heath, who again introduced himself as Group Captain Rupert Brook.[12]

Initially impressed with Heath's looks and manner, Marshall accepted his invitation to take afternoon tea at the Tollard Royal Hotel, where he was staying. Marshall spent the afternoon with Heath and, feeling lonely in Bournemouth, she accepted his further invitation to dine with him that evening. After dinner, Heath took Marshall to the hotel lounge to listen to dance music on the wireless. By now, Marshall was clearly uncomfortable with Heath and asked another guest to call a taxi for her, claiming she was tired. Heath cancelled the taxi and offered to walk her home. On leaving the hotel, Heath told the porter that he would be half an hour; Marshall corrected him: "He will only be a quarter of an hour." This was the last time Marshall was seen alive.

Marshall's disappearance was reported to police by the manager of the Norfolk Hotel on 5 July. He also contacted the manager of the Tollard Royal, knowing that she had dined there on the night she disappeared. The manager of the Tollard Royal advised Heath to contact police in case he had any information which might help them. The following day, Heath duly telephoned Detective Constable Suter at Bournemouth police station and offered to help. He went to the police station and from a photograph identified Marshall as the woman he had been with, but claimed he had left her in the gardens in central Bournemouth.

Later that day, Marshall's father and sister, Charles Marshall and Joan Cruickshanks, arrived at Bournemouth police station and by chance met Heath under his assumed name, who was introduced by Suter. "Brook" joked to them about his similarity to the wanted poster of the murderer Neville Heath. Suter felt sure that he was the man wanted by Scotland Yard, asking, "Isn't your name Heath?" Heath denied it and said he wanted to return to the hotel for his coat. The police fetched it for him and searched it, finding a railway cloakroom ticket, which in turn led them to a suitcase containing a riding whip with a diamond pattern weave. Under questioning, Heath admitted his real identity. The next day he was transferred to London, where he was charged with the murder of Margery Gardner.

Marshall's whereabouts remained a mystery until 7 July, when waitress Kathleen Evans, out walking her dog, noticed a swarm of flies by a rhododendron thicket in Branksome Dene Chine. Further investigation revealed Marshall's naked body, badly mutilated. Wounds found on her hands suggested she had grasped defensively at a knife. She had received blows to her head, her wrists and ankles had been tied, one nipple had been bitten off, and her throat had been slashed. As with Gardner an instrument, possibly a branch, had been inserted into her vagina. She also had a large gash that ran from the inside of her thigh up to her mutilated breast. Some of her possessions were found at the beach huts at Alum Chine.

Although Heath was charged with Doreen's murder, his subsequent trial and execution related only to his earlier murder of Gardner. Marshall's body was returned to her parents and buried in Pinner Cemetery.

Trial and execution

[edit]

Heath's trial began on 24 September 1946 – evidence from the case is still in the Crime Museum at New Scotland Yard. Heath originally told his counsel, J. D. Casswell KC, to plead guilty, but when Casswell questioned this, he said, "All right, put me down as not guilty, old boy".[13] Casswell chose not to call Heath to give evidence and relied on the defence of insanity, calling William Henry de Bargue Hubert, an experienced criminal psychiatrist, to testify as an expert witness. Hubert testified that he believed Heath knew what he was doing but not that it was morally wrong, but the prosecution easily destroyed Hubert's argument; unknown to Casswell, Hubert was a drug addict and was under the influence of morphine as he testified in the witness box.[13]

Two prison doctors testified that although Heath was a psychopath and a sexual sadist, he was not insane. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging by Mr Justice Morris. Heath was executed by Albert Pierrepoint on 16 October 1946 at Pentonville Prison. A few minutes prior to his execution, as was the custom, he was offered a glass of whisky by the prison governor. Heath replied, "While you're about it, sir, you might make that a double".[14]

In a final letter written to his parents prior to his execution, Heath informed his parents: "My only regret at leaving the world, is that I have been damned unworthy of you both."[15]

Mistaken identity

[edit]

In February 1946, a few months before the murders, a woman named Pauline Brees was found naked and tied up in a room at the Strand Palace Hotel in London. Heath stood over the woman, ready to thrash her. Hotel staff had been alerted by her screaming and forced entry to the room, but she subsequently refused to press charges against Heath in order to avoid publicity. When Gardner's body was found in June, Gardner was mistakenly identified by the staff at the Strand Palace as having been involved in this incident in February.

This identification was reported in the press at the time as fact, suggesting that Gardner had gone to the Pembridge Court Hotel fully aware of Heath's sexual proclivities and that she, therefore, must have had some sort of masochistic tendency. Despite the assumptions of many studies of the case to date, there is little actual evidence for this. Producer Sean O'Connor suggests that Heath barely knew Margery Gardner, and that they had never spent the night together before the night he killed her.[16]

References in media

[edit]
  • In Handsome Brute: The Story of a Ladykiller (2013), Sean O'Connor examines previously restricted files from the Home Office and Metropolitan Police.
  • Heath inspired the character played by Dennis Price in the film Holiday Camp (1947).
  • Heath's case has been suggested as the basis for three novels by Patrick Hamilton: The West Pier, Mr Stimpson & Mr Gorse and Unknown Assailant.[17]
  • Barry Foster said that Heath was the inspiration for his portrayal of Robert Rusk in Alfred Hitchcock's 1972 film Frenzy; Hitchcock gave him two books written on Heath to read as background for the character. The unproduced Hitchcock project Kaleidoscope which predated Frenzy had been inspired by Heath.[18]
  • The lead role of a murderer in the film Eyewitness was a change of pace for actor Donald Sinden, who did extensive research for the part, modelling his performance on Heath.[19]
  • The story featured in the 'Neville Heath' episode of the 1949-51 Radio series Secrets of Scotland Yard[20]
  • Heath is featured in the first episode of season three of the comedy drama Shine On Harvey Moon, in which "Squadron Leader" Rupert Brook invites Rita Moon to spend the weekend with him in Bournemouth. She accepts but stands him up when Lou Louis is taken ill - Heath sets off for Bournemouth alone, in a bad temper.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870-1970 ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1 pp. 394-399
  2. ^ a b Perkins, Ed (21 February 2012). "The tragic tale of Wren Doreen Marshall who was murdered in Bournemouth". Daily Echo. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  3. ^ Leith, William (14 February 2013). "Handsome Murderer's Fatal Charm". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. ^ (See "One of the Few" by Gp. Capt. J.A. Kent, Ch. 2, about 4 pages from end of chapter)
  5. ^ "Moira Lister". The Daily Telegraph. 30 October 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  6. ^ Lister, Moira (1 December 1969). The Very Merry Moira. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 9780340106327.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ^ Stepping Into the Spotlight (1975) by Molly Weir.
  8. ^ 'Handsome Brute' (2013), Sean O'Connor p.99
  9. ^ Register of Births, September Qtr 1924, Brentford, vol 3a, page 273
  10. ^ Register of Marriages, December Qtr 1941, Hendon, vol 3a, page 1502
  11. ^ Lives and times of the Mayors of Bournemouth. Bournemouth Council. 2000.
  12. ^ Roger Guttridge Dorset Murders, 1990
  13. ^ a b Donald Serrell Thomas (2006). Villains' paradise: a history of Britain's underworld. Pegasus Books. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-933648-17-0.
  14. ^ O'Connor, op.cit, p.382
  15. ^ "Executed Today: Neville Heath". executedtoday.com. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  16. ^ O'Connor, op.cit, p.368-70
  17. ^ Back cover copy to 2013 reprint of the Gorse Trilogy
  18. ^ Barber, Nicholas (21 June 2018). "Why Hitchcock's Kaleidoscope was too shocking to be made". BBC. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  19. ^ "NEW DEAL FOR STAR". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 4 April 1956. p. 52. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  20. ^ "Secrets of Scotland Yard - 'Neville Heath'". Fourble 'Secrets of Scotland Yard'. Retrieved 29 March 2023.

Works cited

[edit]
  • Honeycombe, Gordon (1982). The Murders of the Black Museum: 1870–1970. London: Bloomsbury Books. ISBN 978-1-854-71160-1.
  • Kent, Gp. Capt. J. A. One of the Few. Corgi. Character reference for Heath, four pages from end Ch. 2.
  • O'Connor, Sean (2013). Handsome Brute. Simon & Schuster.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Casswell, Joshua David (1961). "My fourth client to be hanged". A Lance for liberty. Harrap. p. 237.
  • Critchley, Macdonald (1955). "Neville George Clevely Heath". In Hodge, James H. (ed.). Famous Trials 5. Penguin. pp. 55–106.
  • Lane, Brian (1991). The Murder Guide to Great Britain. London: Robinson Publishing. ISBN 1-854-87083-1.
  • Simpson, Keith. Forty Years of Murder. London: HarperCollins.
  • Waddell, Bill (1993). The Black Museum: New Scotland Yard. London: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-751-51033-1.
[edit]