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Kathleen Higgins

Age: 75

Sex: female

Date: 12 Mar 1949

Place: Winfield House, Regents Park, London

Kathleen Higgins was found murdered in the grounds of Winfield House in Regents Park, London at 7.30am on 12 March 1949.

She had been strangled with a scarf and sexually interfered with.

She was last seen going into the grounds with a man much taller and younger than her who was never traced. He was described as being aged between 30 and 35, between 5ft 9in and 5ft 10in tall, with dark hair, a medium build and thought to have been wearing horn rim glasses and a light belted mackintosh which was thought to have been undone.

She was found by a relief watchman that had lived in Henry House in Allitson Road. Winfield House was a large house situated on the north side of the Inner Circle of Regents Park and had extensive grounds that ran down to it, and slightly beyond the lake in the centre of the park. It was noted that although the whole of the lake was actually Park property, it extended slightly into the grounds and the north boundary of the water was the boundary between the private grounds and the Park.

Her body was found about four yards from the bank on the east side of the lake.

After finding her body, the relief watchmen went to St John's Wood police station and reported the matter at about 7.45am. It was noted that the relief watchman was a man of exemplary character and that there was no question that he had taken any part in the matter other than finding her body.

The grounds were divided from the park by a high wire net fence with barbed wire surmounting it an there was no means of easy access between one and the other although it was possible for an agile person to climb round the wire where the fence joined the water.

The only proper entry to the grounds was from the Outer Circle of Regents Park. After entering the main gates, a person could without difficulty reach the open lawns by a number of paths and it was believed that courting couples had often in fact been in the habit of trespassing there.

Kathleen Higgins's body was found lying on the grass with her head turned slightly to the left, and with her right arm folded under her body and her left arm laid close to her body.

Her knickers were found lying over the lower part of her thighs and knees.

She had a black scarf around her neck, the right end of which ran vertically down the front of her chest while the left end ran horizontally across the front of her chest. It was so tightly fixed across the front of her neck that the crease of the material was later found to have left an impression on the skin of her neck.

When her body was subsequently moved, her skirt was found to be torn and was lying loosely around her buttocks. Her hat was lying at her left side

There were no obvious marks of identity and no property of any kind was found on or near her body.

Whilst members of C3 Department attended the scene of the crime at 11am and took photographs, there were no articles that could have yielded fingerprints and so no other C3 officers were called out.

All of her clothing, together with the contents of her stomach, blood, hair samples and nail scrapings, were submitted to the Metropolitan Police Laboratory, but no useful information as obtained apart from the alcohol contents of the stomach.

After her murder was initially reported on 15 March 1949 it was stated that an early arrest was expected.

When the pathologist was called out he said that there was no indication that her body had been moved or dragged to the place where it was found and that there were no signs of any struggle having taken place amongst the weeds growing in the vicinity. Two buttons from her dress were found under her body and the police stated that as such it appeared that Kathleen Higgins had put up some sort of resistance.

The post-mortem examination reported that Kathleen Higgins was an elderly woman, about 5ft 9in tall and that she had a bruise 1in in diameter just below her chin to the right and a similar bruise about 1in diameter on the left of her chin. The pathologist found blood in both of her ears, around her mouth and in her nostrils and small haemorrhages were found on her forehead, face and eyes. Other larger haemorrhages were also found in the inner angles of both her eyes.

Two parallel pressure marks were seen on the right side of her neck about 1.5in long and 1in apart. There was also a bruise about 1in diameter on the right of her forearm and a jagged lacerated wound was found on the right side of her tongue where it had been impaled on the canine teeth and incisor teeth.

Her liver was found to be intensely congested.

She had three small scratches about 1/3in long on the anterior wall of her vagina and there was a tiny tear in the posterior wall of her vagina.

The post-mortem concluded that the result of the findings shewed that her death had been due to strangulation by a scarf and that there had been some attempt at sexual interference. The report also concluded that her death appeared to have occurred between 6pm and 12 midnight on the previous day, 12 March 1949.

The weather on the night of the murder was reported as being cloudy, but without rain and the moon was full three days later meaning that visibility was moderate.

Kathleen Higgins's identity wasn't at first known. She was dressed normally, but in somewhat ragged clothing, wearing a dress with a skirt over the top, over which she was wearing a white smock and then a dark blue overcoat. The only marks of identity found about her were two laundry marks on her coat and white smock respectively and she had an old tattoo mark that appeared to read 'I.L.U' followed by the initials 'H.C' on the back of her left forearm.

Following the discovery of her body, a message was sent out immediately giving a description of her clothing and asking that special enquiries be made to trace the laundry marks. It was noted that unfortunately, from the point of view of making enquiries, her body was found on a Saturday morning and many laundries were closed until the following Monday.

It was also thought probably that Kathleen Higgins, whose identity was not known at the time, had probably lived alone and that she would probably not be missed until sometime on Monday when she failed to turn up for work.

Extensive enquiries were continued throughout the weekend, but it was not until about 10pm on the Monday, 1 March 1949, that her identity was ascertained and she was determined to have been Kathleen Higgins, aged 75 years of 16 Townshend Cottages, St John's Wood and Baker Street districts, having been missed from the Princess Royal public house in Circus Road over the weekend. She was then formally identified by her daughter who had lived in Hyde Way, Hayes after which the police started to build up a story detailing the habits and circumstances of her life.

It was determined that Kathleen Higgins had lived at 16 Townshend Cottages in one room which was in a filthy condition with a 60-year-old builder who she had been with for five years.

At the time, the builder had been in Archway Hospital in Highgate, and had been since 18 February 1949, suffering from stomach ulcers and as such he was therefore completely ruled out as a suspect.

Kathleen Higgins had been employed by a woman as an ironer at 'Janets Hand Laundry' at 281 Finchley Road, London, NW8, where she had worked for the previous nine months. Her wages were 7/6d a day. She had left work at about 3pm on the Friday 11 March 1949, at which time she was paid for her days work. Then, sometime later that day she drew her old age pension amounting to about 26/-d which was verified at St John's Wood Post Office.

Kathleen Higgins was very well known in the old part of St John's Wood as a local character. She drank heavily, but there was no indication of any dishonesty. It was suggested by one or two witnesses that Kathleen Higgins had lived a life of prostitution, but the police report stated that that appeared to have been mere idle gossip and that there was no evidence that that was the case.

Kathleen Higgins had married on 25 March 1894 to a man who died in 1915 and she had since then associated with three men, the first whose name was unknown and who left her in 1918. The second died in 1930 and the third was the man that she had been living with at the time of her death.

Apart from that she was not known to have associated with anybody other than casual acquaintances in public houses.

It was also found that she was often spoken of as being a person of integrity in money matters and that whilst she would constantly borrow from her neighbours, she would invariably repay them as soon as she received some wages or her pension.

She was described as being very argumentative when in drink and would use the most obscene language and pick a quarrel with anyone she could find. However, it was said that when she was sober, she appeared to have been a comparatively respectable citizen and her employer gave her the highest character.

It was determined that after leaving work at about 2.45pm on 11 March 1949, that she had gone to the Princess Royal public house in Circus Road, NW8 where she had stayed until closing time at 3pm, having had a double and a single of gin and a glass of stout to drink . After that she had gone home, buying a a bottle of milk at a small grocer's shop opposite between 4.30pm and 5pm on the way. It was also thought that it was very probable that she had also drawn her pension at the Post Office after leaving the public house.

It was thought that she had taken the milk home with her and then immediately gone back out to the Red House public house at the junction of Park Road and St John's Wood Road where she was seen by the barman there waiting at the door for it to open at 5.30pm. The barman said that Kathleen Higgins stayed in the pub drinking until about 6.30pm, during which time she bought a Guinness, a double scotch, a double gin and possibly a small gin.

The barman said that he remembered that Kathleen Higgins had had a dirty black purse in her possession when he saw her and also remembered noticing that she had had in it one or two £1 0. 0 notes and a 10/- note which she changed for some drinks.

Other customers in the bar put her time of leaving as late as 7.30pm, but it was thought that that was undoubtedly the very latest that she was there and it was thought that she had more probably left the public house at about 7.15pm and to have then walked along to the British Flag public house in Newcourt Street which was about 100 yards from Prince Albert Road which formed the extreme outside of Regents Park, running along its northern edge.

Kathleen Higgins was seen in the British Flag public house by a number of witnesses, during which time she was seen to consume a small rum and a Reids stout, at which time she was definitely under the influence of drink and was seen attempting to enter the Men’s lavatory which led from the public bar.

Amongst the people that saw Kathleen Higgins in the British Flag public house was a member of the WRAF who had bene stationed at Viceroy Court in Prince Albert Road, St John's Wood, NW8 who had been in the pub between 7.10pm and 7.45pm. She said that Kathleen Higgins had used bad language and that she had seen her try to go into the Gentleman's lavatory. She said that she took hold of Kathleen Higgins arm and shewed her into the street and then locked the bar door from the inside to prevent her getting back in. She said that she didn't see Kathleen Higgins again, but was able to identify her by photographs and by her clothing.

Kathleen Higgins was next seen by a motor mechanic who had lived in Galsworthy Road in Cricklewood. He said that he had been driving west along Prince Albert Road in a customer's car when he had seen an old woman who he later identified as Kathleen Higgins from photographs and clothing, standing on the pavement near the kerb as if she was going to cross the road to the northside. He said that Kathleen Higgins was standing on the south or Park side of Prince Albert Road and appeared to him to be either ill or drunk, and that it was for that reason that he had watched her for about five or seven minutes. He said that when he drove away at about 7.45pm, Kathleen Higgins had been leaning against a lamp post.

The motor mechanic noted that during the time that he had been watching Kathleen Higgins, there had been several RAF personnel waiting at a nearby bus stop who he said might have seen her movements.

Following on from the report of RAF personnel being seen near to where Kathleen Higgins was last seen, the police approached Viceroy Court which was a depot for RAF personnel employed in London offices of the Ministry and which was also being used as a transit camp. Everyone there was interviewed, but none of them were able to assist the police in their enquiries. However, enquiries through provincial forces as to the movements of personnel who were at Viceroy Court on the evening in question showed that a 21-year-old sergeant who was based at RAF Station, Upwood, Hunts, had gone to Viceroy Court on 11 March 1949 in order to attend a Bomber Command re-union held at the Albert hall on 12 March 1949 who said that he had seen Kathleen Higgins on the night in question.

He said that at about 7.45pm he had left Viceroy Court and that as he waited at a nearby bus stop for a No. 74 bus he noticed an old woman whom he identified by photos and by her clothing as Kathleen Higgins leaning against a lamp post and being sick.

The police report noted that it was interesting to note that the laboratory examination of the stomach contents of Kathleen Higgins showed that the quantity of alcohol consumed by her was roughly equivalent to three pints of beer or three double whiskies, and that her being sick no doubt accounted for the fact that she had consumed more than that and that as such, the laboratory finding was not inconsistent with her having been as drunk as witnesses indicated.

At about 7.50pm a 27-year-old housewife who lived at 33 Burnaby Street in Chelsea said that she had been in her husband’s van which was stationary at the traffic lights at the junction of Avenue Road and Prince Albert Road at about 7.50pm on 12 March 1949 when she had seen an old woman standing on the south west corner of the inter section who she later identified as being Kathleen Higgins from photographs and clothing. She said that she was with a man and that the difference in ages made the incident stick in her mind, stating that the man was much taller and younger, and that Kathleen Higgins had been lolling against him. She said that the lights changed, and her husband drove off and that that was the last that she saw of them.

Shortly afterwards, at about 8pm, a chauffeur who lived at 14 Galsworthy Road in Cricklewood said that he was driving along the Outer Circle of Regents Park to collect his son from work and that as he was passing roughly by the gates of Winfield House that he saw a man in the centre of the road with his head turned towards the near side curb where a woman was standing to whom he appeared to be beckoning. The police report stated that the woman was undoubtedly Kathleen Higgins, and that although his identification of her was not positive, it agreed with that given by the woman in the van with her husband of the couple that she had seen, with the difference in age and height again being most noticeable.

Soon after 8pm, five boys from the Finsbury Park area were cycling around the Outer Circle and when they got to the gates of Winfield House they decided to try and get through into the Park which at that time of night was closed. They went in the main gates and walked straight ahead towards the park, during which they all said that they saw a couple. It was noted that the drive of the house went away to the right from where they started. The stories that each of the boys told and their descriptions of the couple were all consistent.

One of the boys, a 17-year-old who had lived in Isledon Road in Finsbury Park and whose statement was said to have been typical of the other boys, said that as they were walking down the path wheeling their cycles they came to a set of double green gates that appeared to be locked. He said that as they turned around and retraced their steps they passed a couple, who the police report referred to as being no doubt identical with the couple seen by the woman in the van and the chauffeur, who they said were walking arm in arm going towards the green gates, stating that he last saw them by the green gates. He said that as they passed them, he heard the man say 'We've gone the wrong way' and that he then heard the woman say 'Come on let's see if we can get through'. The youth was able to describe Kathleen Higgins accurately and added that she seemed unsteady on her feet but said that that was the last that he or any of his friends saw of her.

It was noted that the path beyond the green gates did in fact lead past some green houses to the open grounds in front of Winfield House, but the police report stated that it seemed more probable that the couple had turned back a short distance and had gone through another path that had led to the same place without any gates, from where it was only a matter of about 300 yards in a straight line across the open lawns of the house to the pond where Kathleen Higgins's body was found.

The police report noted that the residents and staff of Winfield House were interviewed but that none of them could give any useful information.

It was noted that of all the witnesses traced that had seen Kathleen Higgins, only the woman that had been in the van at the traffic lights and the five boys had come forward, and that the others were only discovered by dint of careful enquiries of person that the police thought might possibly be able to assist.

The police report stated that there were several suggested reasons as to why Kathleen Higgins had gone into the grounds to the spot where she was murdered and noted that some witnesses insisted that they did not think that Kathleen Higgins would have gone into the park with a stranger, and as such, it seemed therefore that she might have gone there with some acquaintance, possibly for an immoral purpose.

It was alternatively suggested that as she occasionally used the Windsor Castle public house in Park Road which was on the west side of the Park, that it was possible that the person that she had been seen walking with had suggested that they go there for some further drink and that they had then attempted to take a short cut through the grounds of Winfield House. It was however noted that they could not in fact get out at the bottom without very great difficulty and it was thought extremely doubtful whether a woman of Kathleen Higgins's age could have done so. However, it was added that in view of the conversation overheard by the five boys that they evidently did not know that.

It was thirdly suggested that Kathleen Higgins's sense of caution not to go into the park with a stranger might have been over ridden by the alcohol she had consumed and that on a suggestion from a man that she might have gone there with the intention of acquiring a little more money for the purpose of buying more drink.

The police report noted that although they knew that there was some sexual interference, they did not know whether it was the intention of Kathleen Higgins and the man to have sex when they had started out or whether it was merely a case that, upon finding himself in a secluded spot, that the man had lost control of himself, and the police report concluded that they could not guess on that matter.

It was noted that Kathleen Higgins had previously been seen with a black purse by the barman in the Red House public house which was confirmed by her partner who said that it was her usual practice to carry such a purse. The police report noted that during the day Kathleen Higgins had received about 33/- and of that, she was known to have spent about 16/- which would have left her with a balance of between 15/- and £1. 0. 0d. which was assumed would have been in her purse at the time of her death.

The police stated that every effort was made to trace the purse and messages were sent out to All Stations in case it had been recovered and the lake near the scene of the crime was dragged by Thames Police, but without any result.

It was also noted that all persons coming into custody shortly after for any similar offences were also interrogated.

Of the three suggestions put forward for Kathleen Higgins's presence in the park, it was considered that the first option was most likely by acquaintances of Kathleen Higgins, that being that she had gone into the park with a man that she had known. As such, the police traced and interrogated all the men that Kathleen Higgins was known to have associated with at any previous time for one reason or another and identified thirteen people who were all interviewed, but they were all able to account for their movements for the time of the murder.

However, of the thirteen men identified, the police said that the most likely from the point of view of association was a 62-year-old cleaner who had also lived in Townshend Cottages. He had known Kathleen Higgins all his life and had associated with her in the past although there was no evidence that he had ever lived with her or had intercourse with her. However, it was noted that he did not in any way answer the description of the man seen by the various witnesses and he was of exceptionally small build. It was noted that he had put up a poor alibi for the time, stating that he had been with a woman, a 47-year-old cleaner who had lived in Queens Grove, NW8, with whom he had been associating with at the time, but the police stated that the cleaner was of very low intellect and did not confirm his alibi. However, the police concluded in his regard that they were convinced from their enquiries that the 62-year-old man was not in any way connected with the murder.

Another of her associates, a 46-year-old electrician who had lived in St John's Wood High Street, and who answered the description of the man that Kathleen Higgins had been seen with slightly was known to associate with Kathleen Higgins in public houses and to have bought her drinks on more than one occasion. However, he had an alibi which was confirmed by his girlfriend, a woman that had lived in Addison Avenue in Holland Park who said that she had met the electrician in Baker Street at 8pm at the junction with George Street. As such, the police report noted that as Kathleen Higgins was seen alive in the company of a man by the boys at not earlier than 8.10pm, that it would have been impossible for him to have reached Baker Street by 8pm. It was further noted that the electrician and his girlfriend were interviewed shortly after each other and that there was no possibility of collaboration.

It was also noted by the police that Edward John Allen, CRO 15378/31, an escapee from Broadmoor and a convicted child murderer, might have been responsible in view of his residence in the vicinity, but it was found that he had been, according to his foreman, working in North Finchley at the time. He was also interrogated with no result and put up for identification, but not picked out.

It as also noted that Kathleen Higgins's two daughters and her son-in-law, who were her only known relatives, were seen, but were unable to give any information that could help.

The police report concluded that it seemed almost certain that Kathleen Higgins had been 'picked up' by a strange man who had taken advantage of her drunken condition, possibly with a view to sexual intercourse, and that it looked as though when Kathleen Higgins had realised his motive on reaching the park that she had objected to his approaches whereupon he had used force to attain his desires and strangled her and then left, taking her purse and money with him.

As such, the police report concluded that under those circumstances, that the only conclusion as to motive was one of sexual interference and robbery, noting that there was no doubt that Kathleen Higgins had been in possession of a purse containing a small amount of money that had not since been found.

The police report noted that Kathleen Higgins's identity card and ration books were found in her room and that they were subsequently disposed of in accordance with regulations.

The police report noted that Kathleen Higgins's fingerprints were also taken, but that there was no trace of any convictions in the Criminal Record Office or Registry for her.

Kathleen Higgins's inquest was opened on 15 March 1949 and after two adjournments was completed on 9 June 1949, returning a verdict of 'Murder against some person or persons unknown'. Her cause of death was given as being due to asphyxia due to strangulation by a scarf.

During their investigation, the police interviewed over 400 people and took more than 100 statements.

It was later noted that Adam Ogilvie was considered as a suspect in the murder of Kathleen Higgins after he was convicted in 1956 for the murder of Olive Michelle Nixon 57 who he murdered in Regent's Park on 6 November 1946 but was not caught until he later confessed, stating that he did it to get back at his wife. At his trial he withdrew his confession but was convicted. When the police looked into the possibility that he had murdered Kathleen Higgins, they found that at the time he had been serving three years penal servitude for wounding with intent, being convicted at Devon Assize in Exeter on 21 June 1948 and being released on 16 June 1950, which cleared him of all complicity.

John Haskayne was also considered as a possible suspect after he murdered Grace Malinda Darrington in Paddington by strangulation in 1953, but he emphatically denied any knowledge of Kathleen Higgins's murder. It was noted that whilst there was some similarity in the murders, in that both women were strangled, John Haskayne's description did not agree with that of the man last seen with Kathleen Higgins.

Another man was also considered a possible suspect, but later ruled out. He was a man that was arrested in Thame, Oxfordshire for assaulting a female with intent to ravish, and was interviewed with regards to the murder of Kathleen Higgins because he answered the description of the man last seen with her. However, he denied having been on London in the day of Kathleen Higgins's murder, saying that he had been in Birmingham. It was noted that on 23 October 1950 he was put up for identification at Nottingham with regards to an indecent assault on a 12-year-old schoolgirl there on 8 September 1950 but was not picked out in an identification parade. It was noted that he denied that offence but that the Nottingham Police noted that they were satisfied that he was the culprit. It was noted that his modus operandi was to steal a car and then entice some unsuspecting female into it by promising to drive her home and then, having got the girl into the car he would drive to a quiet spot and assault her, later abandoning the vehicle. However, the police concluded that they were satisfied that he was not responsible for the murder of Kathleen Higgins.

Kathleen Higgins was also known as 'Irish Kit'. At 11.30pm on 29 September 1950, a man from Townshend Court in St Johns Wood entered St Johns Wood police station holding another man by the arm. The other man was a 42-year-old who had lived in St John's Wood Terrace. The man holding him said, 'This man has just told me he did Irish Kit'. The station officer there then said, 'Are you referring to the murder of Kate Higgins in Regents Park?' and said that he replied, 'Yes, that’s right'. When the station master asked the 42-year old about what the man had said, he made no reply. He was described as being in a very drunken condition and appeared incapable of making an intelligent or coherent remark. However, after the police investigated the man, they found that he had been living in Newcastle and Sunderland up until 26 July 1950 when he had gone to London for work after answering an advert in a newspaper for work with a company in Kilburn High Road and that he could not have been involved.


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

see www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

see National Archives - MEPO 3/3129

see Nottingham Journal - Tuesday 15 March 1949

see Yorkshire Evening Post - Tuesday 15 March 1949