William Flanagan

William Flanagan, alias Robinson

Murder of paramour.

William Flanagan alias Robinson for the murder of Margaret Dockerty.

There is also reference to him here.

Aka William Robinson. A drifter and layabout, he was dismissed from his job as a sheriffs officer because he was considered insane. On 8 September, Flanagan and his common-law wife Margaret Dockerty, went out drinking, and returned to their bedsit later after both getting drunk, where they continued drinking with several other lodgers. Next morning he accused her of stealing some money from him and then killed her by cutting her throat, the body being discovered by their landlady who had entered the room to retrieve a saucepan. Flanagan was later arrested in possession of the murder weapon and charged. His defence was that he was insane, and evidence was shown that he had made several attempts to commit suicide, in one instance while he was awaiting trial. After conviction, he was hanged by Marwood, on his first visit to Manchester.