User:Saanyalache/Cameo murder

On the evening of 19 March 1949, in Cameo cinema in Liverpool, England, a double murder took place which led to a miscarriage of justice and the longest trial in British history at the time.

Crime

While the cinema manager, Leonard Thomas, and his deputy, Bernard Catterall, counted the day's earnings, a masked man entered their office armed with a pistol. The armed robber demanded they hand over a bag of cash, and when they were reluctant, the robber fatally shot them. Empty handed, the murderer escaped from the building through an exit and down a fire escape as other members of the cinema staff came to the men's aid.

Investigation

Liverpool City Police launched a huge manhunt for the killer, which turned up few leads. However, it wasn't until some months later after they received a letter from a pair of convicted criminals, a prostitute Jacqueline Dickson and her pimp, James Northam. They agreed to assist the police with information on the murders in return for immunity from prosecution. This resulted in the arrests of two Liverpool men, Charles Connolly, 26 and George Kelly, 27. Kelly had convictions for petty theft whilst Connolly had been in trouble for brawling. Despite their protests that they had never met before and both being able to produce sound alibis for the evening of 19 March, the pair were charged with the murder of the two men in the cinema.

First trial

They stood trial at Liverpool Assizes in the city's St Georges Hall on 12 January 1950 before Mr. Justice Roland Oliver. The prosecution's case was that Kelly had been the gunman and that Connolly had acted as lookout as well as having planned the robbery.