Frederick Reynolds – for the murder of his mistress.
Reynolds came to trial at the Old Bayley before Mr. Justice Atkinson on the 7th of February 1947. Reynolds testified that he had known Beatrice for 13 years and three years later she had become his mistress.
His councel, Mr. Eric Cuddon, asked him if his wife knew about the relationship with Beatrice, to which he replied that she did, as both women had worked together at the same factory in Highbury in 1938. In court was Beatrice’s husband, Sidney Greenberg, who stood up and shouted “That is a damned lie, Sir. My wife never worked at Highbury before the War.” Sidney was told to be quiet and sit down by an usher.
On the evening of 17th of December Reynolds had been drinking heavily and had walked to Beatrice’s flat at 40 Avenell Mansions in Avenell Road in Highbury. Reynolds had with him a loaded revolver. She let him in but told him that he would have to leave because Sidney would be home at any minute.
He claimed that she screamed at him and pushed him and the revolver went of by accident. Mr. Anthony Hawke led the prosecution and asked Reynolds “Are you telling the jury that this gun went off by accident, or that you were so drunk you do not know what happened?” Reynolds replied “I must have been drunk.”
The jury returned a guilty verdict and Reynolds commented after he was sentenced “Now I know that it was my hand that took her life I am ready to die with her.” Despite saying this he appealed and the was heard before the Lord Chief Justice and Justices Cassells and Hallett on the 10th of March 1947.
The appeal was dismissed and Reynolds was hanged at Pentonville at 8.00 a.m. on Wednesday the 26th of March 1947, by Albert Pierrepoint and Harry Kirk. He weighed 143 lbs. and was given a drop of 7’ 8”. A small group of people stood outside the prison to see the notices of execution posted. The case papers remained closed until 2023.
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