But they stuck to their story about the killings, denying that they'd murdered the Wycherleys. An argument followed. Inspiring options. SWEPT away by the American soldiers who filled Wollaton Park in the months before D-Day in June 1944, Joan Smith was just a teenager when she met her future husband Clarence Maschek. By that time, the post mortem examination had established that both people discovered in the garden at Blenheim Close died as a result of being shot. Mr Howker also said Susan Edwards and her husband had lived an 'isolated' life which had made her 'vulnerable and naive' for her age. 2. Most bizarrely, perhaps, they had spent much of the stolen money on Hollywood memorabilia, which they bought and sold, including 14,000 on autographs of Gary Cooper and 20,000 on a signed photograph of Frank Sinatra. His body was found in St Ann's Hill Road shortly before midnight with stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. But there are still more than a dozen historical murder cases in Notts which are over ten years old and remain unsolved. But officers searching for where the knife was bought or who it belonged to drew a blank. Here we uncover the shocking true story behind the drama series which landed the Edwardses in prison for life. Police believe Brodie was killed by criminal associates after the robbery went tragically wrong. Nottingham. Christopher would pose as the Wycherleys' nephew and the killers told neighbours and relatives their victims had moved away to various places, including to Ireland for the "good air". For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Susan and Christopher Edwards murdered Susan's parents in a calculated 1998 killing, Olivia Colman and David Thewlis play Susan and Christopher Edwards in Landscapers, Christopher and Susan Edwards were both sentenced to life in prison for the double-murder, William Wycherley was shot dead along with his wife Patricia, who has not been pictured, A signed photo of Gary Cooper on which the Edwardses spent some of their ill-gotten gains, A letter Susan sent to the Wycherleys' niece, suggesting 'father' was still alive in 2007, The garden as it looked in 2014 - the Wycherleys had been buried near the fence, Susan sent Christmas cards to relatives suggesting her parents were still alive, Christopher buried the Wycherleys in the garden in 1998 - their bodies were found in 2013, A Commando Colt .38 calibre revolver which cops believed was used to shoot the Wycherleys, Olivia Colman filming scenes for the new drama series Landscapers, Mansfield couple found guilty of murdering parents, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). At about 4.05am, a woman living in Cyprus Road heard a car brake suddenly and, from her home, saw Mr Landa's beige Ford Cortina rocking violently as if a fight was going on inside. A police officer was out in a marked vehicle when a Toyota Yaris failed to stop in Leeming Lane, Mansfield Woodhouse, shortly before 8.30pm on Monday, February 27. Scotland Yard detectives were called in to give a fresh perspective. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Place: Sherwood Street, Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottingham. They were each handed a life sentence with a minimum of 25. However, the prosecution insisted that the Edwardses had both been present on that fateful weekend and it was most likely that, as a former gun club member, Christopher himself had fired the shots from a Second World War vintage .38 revolver. Ms Godfrey was attacked and raped in her own home A man has been jailed for life after admitted raping and battering an elderly woman to death. Nottinghamshire pair among group arrested on people smuggling charges John Smith. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. It was one of the few clues police had when faced with the task of tracing the killer. It was heard that her memory had come back to her ten months later after watching a Crimestoppers TV film and she had named the 32-year-old man as the assailant. He had been wearing paint-stained decorator's overalls, a brown leather jacket and a dark pon-pon hat. Mansfield Woodhouse is among the top 10 most dangerous small towns in Nottinghamshire, and is the 53rd most dangerous overall out of Nottinghamshire's 236 towns, villages, and cities. 16-year-old knocked man unconscious in defence of autistic boy under attack, A scuffle broke out in Nottingham Railway Station, Neighbours 'very scared' as huge police response called to attack on young man, 'Selfish' gang of graffiti vandals branded 'idiots' after defacing trains, They used the cover of darkness to spray large 'tag' names on carriages, What is Cuckooing? When she was accused of lying, she said, 'What am I going to gain by putting an innocent man down, because that means the real man is still about. Eventually the money ran out and their lies came crashing down as they asked another relative for cash. Wayne Keaton, 10 year old Murdered at Bestwood (1985) Convicted: Atherton & Cleary. Carlisle United 0-4 Mansfield Town. Of course, they'd already been dead and buried for 13 years. In February 2015, Susan Edwards lost an appeal against her 25-year minimum sentence. At London's Criminal Appeal Court her barrister, David Howker QC, said the term did not take enough account of mistreatment she claimed to have suffered at her father's hands, which he argued was a 'slow-burning' form of provocation. Everything we recommend is independently chosen irrespective of affiliate agreements. December 2021 was also a bad month for Mansfield residents, when it was Nottinghamshire's most dangerous major town for burglary, recording 28 crimes at a rate of 0.34 per 1,000 residents. Jason Ward, 23, left 87-year-old Gladys Godfrey. The latest crime news from Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. His stepmother went to the police at the beginning of October, 2014. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. He said Mrs Wycherley had shot her own husband, and then Susan had shot Mrs Wycherley after being provoked. Something went wrong, please try again later. Discover your ideal travel experience. They were each handed a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years. Colman revealed to Sky News that Ed had uncovered a fresh side to the villainous couple. Mr Draycott had just pulled up outside his Sutton-in-Ashfield home in a black Mercedes when he was shot ten times at about 9.15pm on October 7, 2002. Gladys Godfrey was killed at her home on the Ladybrook estate in Mansfield in September 2002. In 2012, the couple received a letter from the Centenarian Society - an organisation helping people celebrate their 100th birthdays - asking for a face-to-face meeting with Mr Wycherley. Sheffield & South Yorkshire. In March 2014, during an appearance at Nottingham Crown Court, Susan and Christopher Edwards admitted for the first time that they had buried the Wycherleys in the garden of the house in Blenheim Close. The court also heard that a 30-year-old hairdresser said that the 27-year-old man had told him that the police had offered him 5,000 to say that he had driven the 32-year-old man to Kevin Childerley's house. A BBC One crime drama examines how murder ignites the deep divides in a former mining community. Three days later, on Saturday, November 2, the pair appeared at Nottingham Magistrates Court charged with the murder of Patricia and William Wycherley. They also pleaded guilty to theft of a credit balance from a Halifax bank account between May 4, 1998, and October 31, 2013 - an early clue of what lay behind the whole story. Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, GMB's Kate Garraway reveals crippling cost of caring for her husband Derek, Katie Price quits her big money TV comeback plunging show into chaos, Pregnant Dani Dyer shows off growing bump as she prepares for twin girls, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Neighbours said they believed the reclusive couple who had previously lived at the house had emigrated, although one admitted: "I found it a bit weird that they would have done that, because thats something you do in your 50s and they seemed to be quite elderly.". '", Colman added: "We find out, through the programme, she faced abuse at the hands of her father as a little girl, and I think it's her escapism to sort of imagine men [can be] heroic and that she finally meets her knight in shining armour.". Just over two decades ago Susan and Christopher Edwards shot the former's parents dead on a quiet cul-de-sac in Mansfield. NEIGHBOURS of Patricia and William Wycherley believed the couple had left their sleepy village near Mansfield but really they were dead and buried in a shallow grave in their own back garden.. They had had two small children who had been in the house at the time of the attack. He was stabbed 14 times at the base of his skull as he walked the family's pet dog, Blackie, in the early hours of. Susan Edwards admitted the manslaughter of her mother, on the basis that she was provoked - a plea which was not accepted by the prosecution. They were both also acquitted of the attempted murder of Kevin Childerley's wife. Landscapers premieres on Sky Atlantic and Now TV on Tuesday 7 December at 9pm. When you purchase through links on our site or newsletter, we may earn affiliate commission. They did this by diverting the Wycherley's pensions and benefits to themselves, and they even applied for loans and credit cards in the dead couple's name. Eventually the property was sold and no one gave much thought again to Patricia and William Wycherley. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Check our listings here. They go right back to the 1960s - with three cases from that decade yet to be solved - and peak during the early 2000s when the city was in the grip of gun and gang crime. With folie deux, there is usually a dominant and a subservient party, but, with the Edwardses, it is not clear which was which. I saw the 32-year-old man'. The version of events told by Edwards, now 56, was all but identical to that told by her husband Christopher. But they continued to deny that they had murdered the couple between May 1 and May 5, 1998. AROUND 40 people saw Theresa Jacobs gunned down outside a city nightclub but still the identity of her killer remains a mystery. Mr Howker also said she is likely to die behind bars and will probably never see any visitors as she had no-one except her husband - who she might never see again. When she asked why they had gone to France, he told her what had happened - saying that Susan had shot her mother, and he had helped his to bury her parents in the back garden, but not admitting to their murders. But staff there never saw him and Mr Stevens, who lived in Harlaxton Drive, never returned home. "Its staggering to think that's what they spent their money on, but that's what they did.". They thought that Christopher Edwards had also been present on that weekend when the Wycherleys were killed. A second jury then found her guilty at a retrial after the judge refused to allow the jury to hear certain evidence after ruling that it had no bearing on the case. Kevin Childerley's wife had said that she remembered waking up to see the 32-year-old man with his hand over Kevin Childerley's mouth and striking out at him. The golden age of Hollywood with which they were so fixated could hardly have come up with a more improbable script. But then, DCI Rob Griffin, who headed the investigation, received an email from Christopher that read: Later on today, we are going to surrender ourselves to the UK Border Force authorities at the Eurostar terminal at Lille Europe station. Speaking about the Sky Original drama, Thewlis said: "This is without doubt the very finest project I have worked on for many years. Detectives sought to contact Susan. Are you looking for a job in Nottingham? After the judge directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict on the 32-year-old man, the prosecution dropped their case against the other 27-year-old man and he was also acquitted. The couple fled to Lille, but money ran short again, and Christopher called his stepmother to ask for a loan. Because Mr Ghafoor was a popular man, and well-liked by his colleagues, police investigating his death were baffled by the lack of response to their repeated appeals for information even after they brought in interpreters to encourage people from the Asian community to come forward. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. A Nottingham Crown Court jury, which deliberated for more than 24 hours, cleared Borrington of murder on Tuesday after concluding that she had not intended to kill or cause really serious. Inspired by real events, the drama is set against the backdrop of a Nottinghamshire mining community still dealing with the hangover of the 1984 strikes, as police try to hunt two unrelated killers. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Police say the club, near the junction with Radford Boulevard, was closing and there were about 40 people outside. How does the Care Funding Advice Service work? In 2007, Susan wrote to a relative, saying her parents had been travelling around Ireland, because of the good air, on and off for some years. The killing of pub landlord George Wilson is Notts' oldest unsolved murder. Murder charge man committed for trial A MAN charged with the murder of eightyear-old Mansfield Woodhouse girl, Kar in Griffin, has been committed for trial at Nottingham Crown Court. It was found the next day in a Basford garden. She said that the caller hung up when she answered the phone. What police do know is that Mr Ghafoor visited a petrol station at the junction of Mapperley Plains and Woodthorpe Drive in the early hours of Tuesday, November 22, 1994. Susan lost an appeal against her sentence in 2015, and the couple remain in jail today. Select tags from below. But the appeal bid was rejected by three of the country's most senior judges. She had been bludgeoned to death. Two men were charged with his murder but were acquitted at Nottingham Crown Court on 7 March 1991. There seemed to be an element of folie deux madness shared by two people, says criminologist Professor David Wilson, of Birmingham City University. IT was not unusual for taxi driver John Landa to be out all night and as he got into his cab on Friday, August 13, 1982, he paused to share a joke with his daughter. We had our kitchen completely remodelled including wall removal, taking up floors, structural. We've just launched our Crime and Punishment. We are based in Mansfield. Now, he returns to face the haunting effect that his mother's. Her right eye was so badly damaged that it had to be removed. Which was, indeed, what had happened. Two days later, an examination of the remains by an anthropologist revealed that one set of remains belonged to an elderly white man who was older than 60. Nottinghamshire Police tried without success to contact the couple. He usually met up with a business friend but as he was on holiday, Mr Stevens went alone, telling his wife he was going to the Albert Hotel. privacy policy, The naming of a defendant within this catalogue does not imply guilt, Closed Or Retained Document, Closed Description, Personal information where the applicant is a 3rd party, Need more context? It was a warm night and Mr Wilson wore a suit. The aim of this article is to provide a brief overview of street level crime in Mansfield using the latest Police statistics. She said that there was another person standing behind the 32-year-old man and that when she tried to sit up she was struck on the head. It was on October 9, 2013, that the bodies of Mr and Mrs Wycherley were discovered in the garden of the house in Blenheim Close. Some speculated that they were travelling or had emigrated. In the meantime, Nottinghamshire detectives had tried to contact the Edwards by phone and e-mail, but after receiving one response there had been nothing more. Closing time arrived at 10.30pm and, about half-an-hour later, only Mr Wilson and his wife, family friend Arthur Ash and his wife and part-time barman Anthony Smith remained. She went back home, but returned the following weekend, this time with her husband - and stopping on the way to buy fish and chips. You need to sign in to tag. The former librarian claimed she had visited the house in Forest Town over the early May bank holiday weekend in 1998, and had been woken on the Sunday, May 3, by a loud bang.