Harold Haywood Wilkins (5 March 1916 – 29 December 1999)[1] was the last juvenile to be sentenced to the death penalty in the United Kingdom, on 17 November 1932[2] at the age of 16. He was convicted of the "sexually motivated murder" of Ethel Corey.[3] In 1939 he was still a prisoner. In 1949 he married Margaret E. Caddick. There are no known children but it is believed there is at least one child.
The execution of those under the age of 16 had been banned by the Children Act 1908 (8 Edw. 7. c. 67). The age was further raised to 18 in the year after Wilkins' conviction, by the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. His sentence was commuted[when?] due to his age.[4]
References edit
- ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
- ^ "WILKINS Harold Haywood: Convicted at Stafford 17 November 1932 of murder and sentenced".
- ^ Bourke, Fionnuala (10 April 2015). "Teenager hanged at Birmingham Prison – one of four youngest prisoners executed last century". Birmingham Mail.
- ^ Radford, Lorraine (5 April 2012). Rethinking Children, Violence and Safeguarding. A&C Black. pp. 19ff. ISBN 978-1-84706-558-2.