James Inglis - The Britain’s fastest execution on record took place at Strangeways on Tuesday the 8th of May 1951.

James Inglis - The Britain’s  fastest execution on record took place at Strangeways on Tuesday the 8th of May 1951. Albert Pierrepoint, assisted by Sid Dernly, had to almost run with James Inglis from the condemned suite to the gallows.

Just seven seconds later his lifeless body was dangling in the cell below. This is about half the typical time for a hanging in this period.

Inglis had been convicted of the murder of 50 year old Alice Morgan, whom he had battered and strangled to death at her home in Eton Terrace on Cambridge Street in Hull on the evening of Thursday the 1st of February 1951. 

Alice was a prostitute and she and Inglis quarrelled over her payment, having spent some time drinking together before she took him home for sex. The following day, he nearly killed his landlady, Amy Gray. 

Alice’s body was discovered by the postman, Thomas Brougham, who on Saturday the 3rd of February had tried three times to deliver a parcel.

The third time he noticed the door wasn’t locked and went in.  Alice was lying on the settee with a silk stocking round her neck.  She also had facial injuries from being punched.

Inglis was arrested at 11.30 pm. on the 3rd of February.  He told police that he and Alice had been out for a drink and that she had complained of feeling unwell.  They left the pub around 8 p.m. and he had put her to bed.

He returned to the pub at 9.10 p.m.  He admitted to punching her in the face but did not recall strangling her.  Afterwards he could not sleep and kept seeing her “bloody face”.

At his trial, in Leeds before Mr. Justice Ormerod on the 19th and 20th of April, the defence of insanity was put forward by his counsel, Raymond Hinchcliffe, but this was rejected by the jury. 

He was transferred to Strangeways and hanged three weeks later, as he did not appeal his sentence.

Sid Dernley recalls in his memoirs that Inglis tried to help Pierrepoint pinion his arms and was smiling when they entered the condemned cell.

Inglis was quite a small man at 5’ 6” tall and 139 lbs. in weight.  Albert set the drop at 8’ 0” which caused fracture/dislocation of the 2nd cervical vertebra.