Ronald True
Encyclopedia
Ronald True, registered at birth as Angus Ronald True, (Manchester
, England
, 1891 – Broadmoor Hospital
, Crowthorne
, 1951) was an English murderer. He was found guilty of the murder of a prostitute in 1922 but reprieved by the Home Secretary
on the grounds of insanity and confined for life in Broadmoor Hospital
. His case raised important issues relating to the legal defense of insanity.
True was born in Manchester in 1891 and educated at Bedford School
. He failed to settle to a career and his family found a series of positions for him overseas. He joined the Royal Flying Corps
in 1915 but his increasingly eccentric behaviour combined with addiction
to morphia led to his discharge in 1916. He visited the United States
in 1912 and 1917, marrying on his second visit Frances Roberts, with whom he had a child. He returned to Britain where his family made him an allowance. His behaviour was now even more eccentric and he was convinced that he had a doppelgänger
who was his mortal enemy. He abandoned his wife and child and lived on his allowance and on various petty frauds and thefts.
In March 1922 he murdered Olive Young (also known as Gertrude Yates), a prostitute, in her flat at 13 Finborough Road, Earls Court
, and stole some money. He failed to take elementary precautions against detection and was arrested a few days later. He was tried for murder at the Old Bailey
in May 1922. The defence at his trial was that he was insane, which was undoubtedly true, but Sir Richard Muir
for the prosecution argued that under the M'Naghten Rules
he "knew what he was doing and knew that it was wrong" and that he was therefore legally responsible. The jury found him guilty.
He was reprieved by the Home Secretary
, Edward Shortt
, amidst political controversy, it being argued that True was being leniently treated on account of his influential family. Shortt defended his decision successfully in Parliament. The controversy was heightened due to the concurrent case of Henry Jacoby, an eighteen year old working class
pantry boy who had murdered a 65 year old titled lady, Lady White, and was hanged.
True was confined to Broadmoor Hospital. During his incarceration, he worked actively in the hospital's drama activities. He died at Broadmoor Hospital on 7 January 1951 from a heart attack. He collapsed after attending the hospital's New Year's dance.
, close to the site of Olive Young's murder, in 2004.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 1891 – Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
, Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
, 1951) was an English murderer. He was found guilty of the murder of a prostitute in 1922 but reprieved by the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
on the grounds of insanity and confined for life in Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...
. His case raised important issues relating to the legal defense of insanity.
True was born in Manchester in 1891 and educated at Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
. He failed to settle to a career and his family found a series of positions for him overseas. He joined the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
in 1915 but his increasingly eccentric behaviour combined with addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
to morphia led to his discharge in 1916. He visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1912 and 1917, marrying on his second visit Frances Roberts, with whom he had a child. He returned to Britain where his family made him an allowance. His behaviour was now even more eccentric and he was convinced that he had a doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
who was his mortal enemy. He abandoned his wife and child and lived on his allowance and on various petty frauds and thefts.
In March 1922 he murdered Olive Young (also known as Gertrude Yates), a prostitute, in her flat at 13 Finborough Road, Earls Court
Earls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
, and stole some money. He failed to take elementary precautions against detection and was arrested a few days later. He was tried for murder at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in May 1922. The defence at his trial was that he was insane, which was undoubtedly true, but Sir Richard Muir
Richard Muir
Sir Richard David Muir was a prosecutor for the British Crown, widely regarded as the greatest of his time; he played a prominent role in many of the most sensational trials of the early part of the 20th century, most notably that of Hawley Harvey Crippen.Muir was born in Scotland, the son of...
for the prosecution argued that under the M'Naghten Rules
M'Naghten Rules
The M'Naghten rules were a reaction to the acquittal of Daniel McNaughton. They arise from the attempted assassination of the British Prime Minister, Robert Peel, in 1843 by Daniel M'Naghten. In fact, M'Naghten fired a pistol at the back of Peel's secretary, Edward Drummond, who died five days later...
he "knew what he was doing and knew that it was wrong" and that he was therefore legally responsible. The jury found him guilty.
He was reprieved by the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Edward Shortt
Edward Shortt
Edward Shortt PC KC was a British lawyer and Liberal Party politician. He served as a member of David Lloyd George's cabinet, notably as Home Secretary from 1919 to 1922.-Background and education:...
, amidst political controversy, it being argued that True was being leniently treated on account of his influential family. Shortt defended his decision successfully in Parliament. The controversy was heightened due to the concurrent case of Henry Jacoby, an eighteen year old working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
pantry boy who had murdered a 65 year old titled lady, Lady White, and was hanged.
True was confined to Broadmoor Hospital. During his incarceration, he worked actively in the hospital's drama activities. He died at Broadmoor Hospital on 7 January 1951 from a heart attack. He collapsed after attending the hospital's New Year's dance.
In popular culture
The murder of Olive Young and True's later incarceration, and relationship with fellow murderer Richard Prince, in Broadmoor Hospital was the subject of a play, Lullabies of Broadmoor, performed at the Finborough TheatreFinborough Theatre
The Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
, close to the site of Olive Young's murder, in 2004.