1924 Gilbert Amos murder

Decoyed to His Death - Murder and Sodomy in Staple Hill of 8 year old Schoolboy Gilbert Amos who had been strangled with a black necktie and sexually assaulted.

On Friday 15 December 1924 Mrs Amos decided to do some late night shopping. In the run up to Christmas the shops tended to stay open even later than usual to catch as much as possible of the pre-Christmas trade. Her husband, a general labourer working on the railway, had gone off to meet up with his friends for a drink at about 8 o'clock. She left her eldest son, 11-year-old Willie in charge of the two younger boys Gilbert, who was 8 and little Walter, aged 2.

The Amos family lived in Burchill's Cottages, Bath Buildings. The cottages still stand although they have now been converted into a single dwelling and the road itself is now known as Upper Station Road.

At about 10 o'clock Mrs Amos, having finished her shopping, walked up to meet her husband accompanied by her friend Mrs Green and the couple returned home together. At about 10.30 she went up to the children's bedroom to check on them and found that Gilbert was missing.

Photo Above: Burchill's Cottages, Bath Buildings. The cottages still stand although they have now been converted into a single dwelling and the road itself is now known as Upper Station Road.

She alerted her husband and they woke Willie up to find out what was going on. Willie said that at about 9 o'clock a man whom he knew by name and sight and whom he had passed on the main road an hour before knocked on the door and told Willie that he had come from their Auntie Lizzie's who wanted Willie to go to her house as she had something for him. Willie explained that he could not go as he had been left in charge of the baby but Gilbert, who was in the process of getting ready for bed, offered to go in his place.

He hastily put his boots back on and went off with the caller who Willie recognised as someone who visited his aunt. Aunt Lizzie, Elizabeth Morton, Mrs Amos's sister, lived in Portland Street which runs off Acacia Road, a relatively short distance from Burchill's Cottages. Willie noticed Gilbert stop to tie up his boot lace and being told to 'Hurry up'.

Time passed and Willie began to feel sleepy so decided to take himself off to bed. The next thing he knew was being awoken by his parents demanding to know the whereabouts of Gilbert. Alarmed, Herbert Amos and his wife left the house to search for their missing boy. Mrs Morton said she had not seen Gilbert or sent any message for either of the boys as she had been out the entire evening, from 6.00 until 9.30. The couple continued to comb the area until, at about 2.00am, they were told to speak to the police. Herbert Amos was taken to Fishponds police station and there identified the body of his son, Gilbert Caleb Amos. He had been strangled with a black necktie and sexually assaulted.

Meanwhile, in North View, a turning off Hayward Road and very close to Portland Street lived the Bressington family whose son, William, had recently returned to Bristol after working away for some weeks. Late on that Friday night his mother must have heard something relating to him which caused her concern and so she went to find her husband. Charles Bressington, together with a friend, William Britton, who lived in Hayward Road, went in search of his 21-year-old son. They found him on a corner of Soundwell Road near the boot factory. From what he said to them, and the exact words were later disputed, he told his father either 'I have done it, daddy' or 'I have done wrong'. He then led them to Cousins' Field near the railway station, now the site of Frampton Crescent, and took them to an corner where lay a child's body.

William Britton walked across to examine it and said 'It is a little girl and the body is cold'. He then hurried to the station and fetched a couple of porters who brought lamps and then a police constable arrived. After handcuffing William Bressington he turned his attention to the child, wrapping it in his own overcoat and attempting artificial respiration but without success. The child was now identified as a little boy. Young Bressington had fallen to the ground. He was pulled to his feet and taken into custody. A Staple Hill resident, Joan Davies, was living in Cossham Villa, Lower Station Road when the murder took place and later recalled that from the back bedroom window could be seen all the comings and goings of the police officers that night. She was not aware at the time that the murdered child was a schoolmate, though 2 years older than her, at Soundwell Council School (now Staple Hill Primary). Young Gilbert Amos was described by his grandmother as 'a sturdy, jolly little chap, fair haired, chubby' and with 'skin like alabaster'.

The inquest was held on the Tuesday but the accused was not present. Herbert Amos was there, accompanied by Ensign Albion of the Salvation Army, which was always strong in Staple Hill. Mrs Amos had asked him to be there to support her devastated husband. The funeral took place on the Thursday and hundreds of people gathered outside the house and along the route to Mangotsfield parish cemetery. The little body was conveyed on a hand bier which had been presented to the parish some years previously by local benefactress, Lady Cave of the well-known. family. William Frederick (Willie) was there with his parents and his Uncle Gilbert and grandparents Mr and Mrs Wilfred Amos and another uncle, William Graham. Perhaps surprisingly Charles and Wilfred Bressington were also present. Nearer My God to Thee and Abide with Me were played and Ensign Albion read a passage from the Bible. A large cross of chrysanthemums had been sent from the school and also one from Standard 1, the class he had attended. In the school, at the time the burial was taking place, the children formed an orderly line all round the perimeter of the playground in silence to pay their respects to their erstwhile playmate.

Photo Above: A present-day photograph of the Staple Hill school attended by Gilbert Amos

The inquest was resumed the following day and this time William Bressington was present. When he had been brought before the magistrates earlier in the week he had appeared wild and unkempt with his ginger hair hanging down over his face but on this occasion his hair was brushed back. He sat, trembling, with his head bowed. Herbert Amos was called first and he confirmed that the tie used in the murder had not belonged to his son. He said that, to the best of his knowledge, he had never known the prisoner nor had he ever been a visitor to his home. He described his movements on the evening in question and then had to identify a small pair of navy blue knickerbockers which he said had belonged to his boy. Asked about a 5-inch slit in them he confirmed it had not been there when the lad left the house in the morning.

Young William Frederick Amos was called next and he described the events of the evening. He identified William Bressington as the person who had called at the house. It was then Charles Bressington's turn to give evidence and he denied that he had said This is the ******* who killed the kiddie'. PC 148, John Hawkins, who was called next insisted these words had been uttered and said he had taken a statement from William Bressington, which he had signed, saying 'Yes, I murdered him. I put a tie round his neck'. Mr Stredwick, who was representing the prisoner objected to this saying it would prejudice his client's position at the trial. Mr Maurice Barber, surgeon, of High Street, Staple Hill, described the victim's injuries and gave his opinion that the child had been violated from behind when he was either unconscious or dead. He said the accused told him there was a third person present, someone called 'James'.

Edward Gould, the stationmaster, testified that he had heard the prisoner say he had committed the murder 'with a tie round his neck'. He also heard the accused say there was another person present but thought the name mentioned was 'Charlie'. The jury retired for 10 minutes and then returned a verdict of 'Wilful Murder'. The case came to trial in February. No women were permitted to serve on the jury, nor were any allowed into court with the exception of the accused's mother and sister. Young men under the age of 21 were also barred from attending. The trial began on a controversial note as Bressington pleaded 'Guilty'. Mr Justice Roche intervened saying this plea was not usual or convenient in murder cases and a plea of 'Not Guilty' was then entered.

Mr S. H. Emmanuel led the case for the Crown. He summarised the events which had taken place on the night of 15 December 1924 from the abduction of Gilbert Amos to the grim discovery in Cousins' Field. It was at this juncture the case for insanity for raised and the implications detailed. Reference was made to Bressington's remark to his father when the word 'wrong' was mentioned and two questions which the jury had to ask themselves were: (1) Did he know the nature of his acts? and (2) Did he know they were wrong? Mr Emmanuel stated that he expected the jury to answer 'yes' to each of the questions. He then went on to say that, when the prisoner was arrested, possessions were found on his person of the sort you would not normally expect a young man to carry - face powder, a powder puff and similar articles which the jury might recognise as being abnormal but being abnormal was not to be insane.

After this Herbert Amos, followed by young William Amos, were questioned and repeated the statements they had made at the inquest. Both were questioned about the cut knickerbockers. Mrs Elizabeth Morton ('Aunt Lizzie') repeated her evidence that she had not authorised the accused to take a message to her nephew and then Charles Bressington was called to the stand. He said that he had encountered his son by Derham's boot factory and been told 'I have done it, daddy. I have done it. I cannot tell you but I will take you to the place and show you'. He then described the finding of the corpse in the field. He told the court that his son had been born on 30 March 1908, one of seven children, five of whom, all girls, had since died. He admitted that his son was 'always very funny from a baby onwards'.

Photo Above: Staple Hill Railway Station. Gilbert Amos's body was found in a nearby field.

Cross-examined by Mr Weatherly for the defence he said that his grandfather had died, insane, in Keynsham workhouse, his uncle David had died in Gloucester Asylum of acute mania and David's son had also died, in October 1910, in an asylum - Bristol Mental Institution. Another cousin had suffered a similar fate. He said that his son was always in the habit of wandering off and was frequently being brought home by the police. He had attempted to commit suicide when he was 15 by taking poison and was admitted to Cossham Hospital Kingswood. In August 1919 he ran away and joined the Berkshire regiment but was discharged later that year because of an injury and 'feeble-mindedness'. He remained at home for a short while then took off again and went to work as a steward. On 16 April 1920 he was brought home by the police who had found him in a fit. Over the next 13 months he was away from home and his family had no idea of his whereabouts but in July 1921 he was arrested and sent to Horfield Gaol under the Borstal system for stealing a key and tools from empty houses.

From infancy he had complained of pains in the head and had always been unpredictable, going off without a word to anyone. He had, for many years, carried cosmetics and a piece of broken mirror and his father had seen him dressed as a woman on several occasions. Mr Britton was then called and testified as to Bressington's admission of guilt at the scene of the crime. Dr William Cotton, the medical superintendent of Horfield Prison said that the prisoner had been admitted to the gaol on 23 December 1924 and was placed on special observation owing to a suicide attempt. He said the prisoner always appeared perfectly rational and controlled and able to conduct lucid conversations on a daily basis. He had had him under his care previously, in 1921, when he had perceived him to be 'unbalanced' but not insane. He described his condition as being one of dull stupidity; one in which he was capable of foolish and impulsive acts. Two medical experts were called, both directors of mental institutions and PC Trinder of Gloucestershire County Police, based at Staple Hill who had once found him in the middle of the road, arms and legs flailing and screaming 'They are coming over! They are coming over'. When the constable went to his aid he struggled and attempted to bite the officer.

Dr Phillips of Northwoods Asylum had spoken at length with the prisoner regarding his schooldays, his perversions and the actual crime and found the young man answered in a totally detached manner. He believed the accused to be a mental defective with no concept of right or wrong and felt his family history backed up this opinion. Dr R Barton White, medical superintendent of the Bristol Mental Institution, said he had interviewed Bressington on 11 February and the prisoner had discussed the crime without emotion. He admitted practising as a sexual pervert and said that he had masqueraded as a girl, adding that hundreds of boys did the same. The doctor's opinion was that he knew he was taking the child's life but did not realise the difference between right and wrong.

The judge then summed up and instructed the jury to consider whether the prisoner was guilty of murder in the ordinary sense or whether, as the defence stated, he was guilty but not mentally responsible for his actions. After a little under an hour the jury returned with a verdict of 'guilty' although they recommended mercy on the grounds of his weak mentality. The judge passed the sentence of death but said 'the recommendation of the jury will be considered in the right quarter'. When he realised the judge was donning the black cap Bressington began to sob loudly and had to be supported as he left the dock. In the event there was no mercy for William Francis Albert Bressington and he was executed by Albert Pierrepoint on 31 March 1925, the day after his 22nd birthday. Given'the fragility of his mental state it seems a rather harsh outcome.