A motorist driving through Wimbledon on the 14 July 1938 was shocked to see a woman's body lying in the road. His first impression was that she had been knocked down by a car and that the driver had failed to stop. Going over to the woman he could see she was dead.

When the police arrived on the scene they did not think it was a simple hit and run accident. On closer inspection the police were able to ascertain that the woman had been killed elsewhere and then her body had been put in the road to make the death appear accidental. Tyre-marks were found on the woman's legs which were thought to belong to etither a Morris Minor or an Austin Seven car. The woman was identified as 30-year-old prostitute Rose Muriel Atkins, also known as 'Irish Rose'.

Two days later the police has a bit of good luck. George Brain was reported to the police on suspicion of embezzlement by his employers. Brain was 27-year-old driver working for a firm of boot-repairers and drove the firm's green Morris van. Brain had vanished after leaving the van in a work-mate's garage.

As soon as the police discovered the van they were very interested. The first thing they discovered were bloodstains, and in case that wasn't enough they found Rose Atkin's handbag with Brain's fingerprints on it in the vehicle. Although a nationwide hunt was launched Brain was not apprehended until July when he was recognised in Sheerness and arrested.

George Brain told police that he had picked up Rose Atkins in Wimbledon late at night and she had demanded money, threatening to tell his employers that he was using the van after hours. He also said that without thinking he had hit her with the van's starting handle. This did not tie in with the fact that she had been stabbed to death. The knife had already been found hidden in the garage.

He had stolen four shillings from the woman's handbag, a small amount to kill for even in 1938. He was tried at the Old Bailey and it took the jury just fifteen minutes to find him guilty and he was hanged on 1st November 1938 at Wandsworth Prison.

Real-Crime.co.uk

  

George Brain

On 14th July 1938 a motorist driving through Somerset Road, Wimbledon spotted a woman's body lying in the road. At first it looked as though she had been the victim of a hit-and-run accident. On closer inspection the police decided that the woman had been killed elsewhere and dumped to make the death appear accidental. Tyre-marks on the woman's legs were identified as having come from a Morris Minor or Austin Seven car. The woman was identified as thirty-year-old prostitute Mrs Rose Muriel Atkins, also known as 'Irish Rose'.

Two days later Brain's employers reported him to the police on suspicion of embezzlement. Brain was 27-year-old driver working for a firm of boot-repairers in Pancras Street and drove the firm's green Morris van. He had vanished after leaving the van in a workmate's garage. Police inspecting the van discovered bloodstains and Rose Atkin's handbag with Brain's fingerprints on it.

Brain stayed at large until 27th July when he was recognised on Minster Cliffs, Sheerness and arrested. He told police that he had picked up Rose Atkins in Wimbledon late at night and she had demanded money, threatening to tell his employers that he was using the van after hours. Brain had hit her with the van's starting handle, which was at odds with the fact that the girl had been killed with a knife. The knife had been found hidden in the van's garage. He had stolen four shillings from the woman's handbag.

At Brain's Old Bailey trial it took the jury just fifteen minutes to find him guilty and Mr Justice Wrottesley sentenced him to death. He was hanged on 1st November 1938 at Wandsworth Prison.

Murder-UK.com