Mary Ashby

Mary Ashby died from poisoning following confinement, the appearance of which appeared unnatural and it was suspected that someone had interfered with her.

A 55-year-old woman was tried for her murder, but when the judge charged the Grand Jury at the Warwickshire Autumn Assizes on 8 December 1905, he suggested that the evidence was not sufficient for a jury to convict her. It was noted that the magistrates had refused to send her for trial and that her case had been brought before them on a coroner’s inquisition. However, the Jury brought in a true bill against the woman and her trial was fixed for the following week. However, at her trial on 16 December 1905 after hearing the prosecution’s evidence the judge directed the jury to acquit the woman stating that he would have thought that the Jury would not have found a true bill against the woman upon his direction on 8 December 1905, noting that there was no case.