Alfred David Bostock

Alfred Davis Bostock was convicted of the murder of 24-year-old Elizabeth Maud Sherratt and sentenced to death. He attacked her and left her in a river near Roundwood, Rotherham. She was found with her head in the water and her feet on the bank. Severe head injuries were recorded and a post-mortem found no water in the lungs, ruling out drowning. It was said that he had been keeping company with her and there were blood stains on his clothing. He denied the charge. Alfred Bostock had been a crane driver. He had served int he army in Ireland, but whilst there was court-marshalled for revolt and sentenced to 12 months hard labour and discharged with ignominy. Latterly he had been working at the Park Gate Forge as a crane driver. xxx1xxx He had married in 1923 and had lived with his wife and their child, however, for some months he had been keeping company with Elizabeth Sherratt, a single woman. He admitted to the police to having been intimate with Elizabeth Sherratt for the previous two months, but it was thought that their intimacy had probably started earlier, as Elizabeth Sherratt had at the time of her death been eight months pregnant and it was thought that Alfred Bostock must have regarded himself as responsible for her condition. During the weeks immediately preceding the murder Alfred Bostock told three of his workmates that he had got a woman into trouble and that if he could not get out of it any other way that he would: xxxqxxx do her in. xxxqxxx However, his workmates didn't take his threats very seriously and told him that he had better let things take their course. It was also noted that Alfred Bostock already had an order against him from 1923 in respect of a bastard child for payment of 7s 6d a week, but the child had died shortly after the order was made. About 7.30pm on Sunday 3 May 1925 Alfred Bostock was seen to meet Elizabeth Sherratt at the bottom of Green Lane. He had written a letter to her making that appointment, and the letter was afterwards found under the mattress of Elizabeth Sherratt's bed. Elizabeth Sherratt had also written to a girl friend saying that she could not meet her that evening as she had to meet Alfred Bostock. Other witnesses also saw Alfred Bostock and Elizabeth Sherratt going on their way to the spot where Elizabeth Sherratt's body was later found the following day in the river, whilst another witness said she saw Elizabeth Sherratt sitting on a fence by the side of the river at about 9pm talking to Alfred Bostock who was standing by her. Alfred Bostock was later seen at about 10pm in the neighbourhood of two inns, the Rail Mill Inn and the George Inn. It was noted that the inns were about half an hour's walk from the spot where Elizabeth Sherratt was later found dead. A little later after that Alfred Bostock called for his wife and child at the house of his mother-in-law and went home with them. Elizabeth Sherratt's body was found the following morning, partly in the water, below the fence where they had been seen talking the night before. She had three severe wounds on her forehead and six on her head, which had been caused by a heavy blunt instrument, and her skull was found to be extensively fractured from the forehead, extending back over to the top of her head. It was further found that her death had not been due to drowning, even though when she was found her head had been submerged in the water, and blood was found to be spattered on the ground and on the bush and fence nearby. xxx2xxx Alfred Bostock was arrested that same day on suspicion and cautioned and asked to explain his movements the previous evening. He admitted having met Elizabeth Sherratt about 7.30pm, but said that he only had five or ten minutes conversation with her, and that she had then left him to go up Moorgate to see a friend. He said that he then went on by himself to the Rail Mill Inn, and that he got there about 8pm, and stayed there for about an hour. However, at the trial, a barmaid from the Rail Mill Inn gave evidence stating that Alfred Bostock had not been at the inn that evening. Alfred Bostock then stated that he had actually gone to the George Inn, which was quite close and that he always mixed up the two inns, and that he had made a mistake when he had told the police that it had been the Rail Mill Inn that he had been to. He also denied that he had ever had intimate relations with Elizabeth Sherratt at all. However, the police report stated that the case against him was overwhelming, as there were the statement he had made to his workmates, the evidence of the witnesses that had seen him and Elizabeth Sherratt on their way to the spot as well as the witness that actually saw them together at the spot, as well as the letters found after Elizabeth Sherratt's death, and that as such there could be no doubt over his guilt. He was convicted at the Leeds Assizes with no recommendation to mercy and sentenced to death and hanged at Armley Gaol on 3 September 1925, the same day as Wilfred Fowler.