Frank Stokes

Frank Stokes murdered Linda Violet Ash 75 at 41 Marlborough Avenue, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 14 April, 1958.

He had answered an advert for a gardener and had gone to her home where she had offered him 3s-6d but he had asked for 4/- and he lost his temper and hit her. He later handed himself in to the police 11 days later. His crime was considered a capital offence because it was carried out in the course of theft based on the fact that he had an old wallet on him that was alledegly Linda Ash's. However, he said that he had stolen that from another job. However, it was considered odd that if he had stolen the wallet from Linda Ash then why did he not throw it away? and if it was stolen on a previous occassion then the murder of Linda Ash was not a capital offence and he should not have been hung.

see National Archives - PCOM 9/2032

see London Gazette