Sandyford murder case
Encyclopedia
The Sandyford murder case was a well-known proceeding of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United Kingdom
. The case revolved around the brutal murder of one Jessie M'Pherson, a servant, in Sandyford Place, Glasgow
, Scotland
, in 1862. M'Pherson's friend Jessie M'Lachlan discovered the body, and stood accused of having murdered M'Pherson.
The Sandyford case was the first Scottish police case in which forensic photography
played a role, and the first case handled by the detective branch of the Glasgow Police.
The case went to the Glasgow Circuit Court in September 1862. During the trial, M'Lachlan resolutely declared her innocence, and accused the women's employer, one James Fleming, age 87, of having committed the crime, perhaps in a fit of passion when M'Pherson refused his amorous advances. The jury found M'Lachlan guilty of murder and sentenced her to death, which was to be carried out by hanging
on October 11, 1862.
However, in an unprecedented action, a Court Commission was appointed to investigate the evidence in the case. The commission did not declare her innocent, but did commute her sentence to life imprisonment.
The case is given a passing mention in the last chapter of E.C. Bentley's 1913 detective novel Trent's Last Case
and in the third chapter of Gladys Mitchell
's 13th Mrs. Bradley crime novel, When Last I Died, publilshed in 1941. It was recounted by Jack House
in his 1961 book Square Mile of Murder
, which was dramatised by the BBC
in 1980.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The case revolved around the brutal murder of one Jessie M'Pherson, a servant, in Sandyford Place, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in 1862. M'Pherson's friend Jessie M'Lachlan discovered the body, and stood accused of having murdered M'Pherson.
The Sandyford case was the first Scottish police case in which forensic photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
played a role, and the first case handled by the detective branch of the Glasgow Police.
The case went to the Glasgow Circuit Court in September 1862. During the trial, M'Lachlan resolutely declared her innocence, and accused the women's employer, one James Fleming, age 87, of having committed the crime, perhaps in a fit of passion when M'Pherson refused his amorous advances. The jury found M'Lachlan guilty of murder and sentenced her to death, which was to be carried out by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
on October 11, 1862.
However, in an unprecedented action, a Court Commission was appointed to investigate the evidence in the case. The commission did not declare her innocent, but did commute her sentence to life imprisonment.
The case is given a passing mention in the last chapter of E.C. Bentley's 1913 detective novel Trent's Last Case
Trent's Last Case
Trent's Last Case is a detective novel written by E.C. Bentley and first published in 1913. Its central character reappeared subsequently in the novel Trent's Own Case and the short-story collection Trent Intervenes .-Plot summary:...
and in the third chapter of Gladys Mitchell
Gladys Mitchell
Gladys Mitchell was an English author best known for her creation of Mrs. Bradley, the heroine of numerous detective novels. She also wrote under the pseudonyms Stephen Hockaby and Malcolm Torrie...
's 13th Mrs. Bradley crime novel, When Last I Died, publilshed in 1941. It was recounted by Jack House
Jack House
Jack House was a prolific and popular Scottish writer and broadcaster, with a significant attachment to the City of Glasgow.-East end:He was born in Tollcross, then technically outside of the Glasgow city boundaries...
in his 1961 book Square Mile of Murder
Square Mile of Murder
The Square Mile of Murder relates to an area of west-central Glasgow, Scotland. The term was first coined by the Scottish journalist and author Jack House, whose 1961 book of the same name was based on the fact that four of Scotland's most infamous murders were committed within one square mile of...
, which was dramatised by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1980.