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Annie Mary ODonnell

Age: 73

Sex: female

Date: 12 Oct 1962

Place: 32 Victoria Dwellings, Clerkenwell Road, Clerkenwell, London

Annie Mary O'Donnell was killed in her religious bookshop at 32 Victoria Dwellings, Clerkenwell Road in Clerkenwell, London on 12 October 1962.

An 18-year-old man was tried three times for her murder but acquitted.

The jury failed to reach a verdict at the first two trials and the prosecution presented no evidence at the third. The dates of the trials at the Old Bailey were:

  1. 12 February 1963.
  2. 7 March 1963.
  3. 8 March 1963.

However, it was noted that following his release he assaulted a woman in Petty France, Westminster, with intent to rob her on 3 May 1963, for which he was convicted on 29 May 1963.

Victoria Dwellings has since been demolished and the plot redeleloped, however, Herbal Hill is still there along with many other period buildings.

Background and Habits of Annie O'Donnell

Annie O'Donnell had been a single woman, born in Clonmel, Eire on 4 December 1887, however, the police were unable to trace any blood relatives.

Although she was 74 years of age, she was described as a well preserved woman in good health.

She had been a staunch Roman Catholic and attended church twice a day, living an insular life and having no close friends, her acquaintances all being people concerned in her religious activities.

She had lived in a single-roomed flatat 39 Coldbath Buildings in Rosebery Avenue, WC1, but the greater part of her day was spent at her shop, the Catholic Repository at 32 Victoria Dwellingas at the corner of Clerkenwell Road and Herbal Hill where she sold a miscellaneous assortment of articles, all to do with the Roman Catholic faith, such as statues, crucifixes, rosaries, holy medals, prayer books, religeous cards and calendars.

The police report stated that it was difficult to assess the volume of her busioness carried on at the shop, but noted that it had been variously described as 'quiet' and 'busy'.

However, it was noted that Annie O'Donnell was a person of some substance, it being found that at the time she had had a belt containing £599 sewn into her underskirt.

The nearest person traced to her was her god-daughter who lived at 5 Cave Road, E13. She said that when she was young that she also lived in Coldbath Buildings after her parents separated and Annie O'Donnell helped her out. She said that it was through Annie O'Donnell's influence that she embraced the Roman Catholic religion.

She said that she visted Annie O'Donnell regularly, but that the last time she saw her was on Sunday 7 October 1962.

Annie O'Donnell's god-daughter confirmed that Annie O'Donnell had been a very quiet person, with no friends, who spent almost her entire day either in her shop or in St Peter's Church nearby in Clerkenwell Road. She added that church and her religion were her sole topics of conversation, and that she didn't disclose her financial status with her but that she always had the impression that she was 'comfortably off'.

First Police Officer on the Scene

The first police officer on the scene had known Annie O'Donnell as keeping her shop at 32 Victoria Dwellings for 24 years. It was he and the neighbour at 32 Victoria Dwellings who identified her body.

Neighbour

Annie O'Donnell's neighbour at 33 Victoria Dwellings, opposite 32, knew most about Annie O'Donnell's habits and movements. She described her as very quiet, but that she had little to do with her over the four years that she had lived at the address.

She said that Annie O'Donnell would close her shop between 6pm and 6.30pm and then go up Clerkenwell Road towards St Peter's Church, which was close by and would generally return about 7pm. She said that she thought that Annie O'Donnell would then cook herself a meal before going to the 8pm Mass, also at St Peter's Church. It was noted that my Mass, the neighbour meant the 8pm Benediction Service. The neighbour added that on some occasions Annie O'Donnell would return and stay in the shop until about 9pm.

The neighbour further noted that at about 7.50pm, the bell at St Peter's Church would be run, calling people to the 8pm Benediction Service and that it was usually immediatly after that that she would hear Annie O'Donnell locking up and leaving for church. It was additionally noted that the noise of the bell, in the nearby dwellings, was defening, and obliterated all other sounds.

The neighbour said that it was her recollection that after business hours, that Annie O'Donnell would lock her door from the inside if she was in the shop and would not answer to any knocking. However, it was noted that if the evidence of another neighbour was accepted, then that would not have appeared to have been the case on the evening of the murder.

It was noted that the neighbour at 33 Victoria Dwellings was the last person known to have seen Annie O'Donnell before her murder, that being about 7.10pm or 7.15pm on 12 October 1962.

Father at St Peter's Italian Church

The Father at St Peter's Italian Church in Clerkenwell Road said that he knew Annie O'Donnell extremelty well and that to his recollection that she would attend every night for hte Evening Benediction at 8pm and that he had never known her to be late and that she would also attend at other times during the day, especially on Friday evenings. He noted that Friday evenings were a particualr day of devotion in the Roman Catholic faith and the Father said that it was his belief that Annie O'Donnell would attend at about 6.30pm to 7pm to perform that Stations of the Cross privately.

The Father noted that Annie O'Donnell didn't attend the Benediction on Friday 12 October 1962 and the police said that they were unable to trace anyone who could say that she had attended church earlier that day.

Woman from 11 Griffin Mansions

A woman from 11 Griffin Mansions said it had been Annie O'Donnell's habit to leave her shop for church every evening at about 7.50pm and that she understood her to have money, but had no reason for know that apart from local gossip.

Description of Scene

The attack on Annie O'Donnell took place in her shop, which was a single ground floor corner room of a block of flats bounded on one side by Clerkenwell Road and on the other by Herbal Hill, plans of which were made for the Court hearing.

 


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.truecrimelibrary.com

see National Archives - DPP 2/3561, MEPO 2/10451, CRIM 1/4067

see Liverpool Daily Post - Thursday 07 March 1963

see Daily Herald - Saturday 09 March 1963