Johannes Josephus Cornelius Mommers

Johannes Mommers murdered Augusta Viletta Pionbini 21 whose throat he cut at Sunnyside, Thundersley, Essex on 7 May 1926.

Johannes Mommers was a Dutch national who had served in the British Army who worked as a house painter. Augusta Pionbini was an Italian girl. Her younger sister said that Johannes Mommers and Augusta Pionbini were just friends.

On 7 May they had gone out together for a walk in Thundersley and when they returned Johannes Mommers slit her throat. She stumbled into her home and died.

Blood was found on Johannes Mommers's clothes.

Augusta Pionbini lived with her mother at a house they ran as a Guest house, Sunnyside in Thundersley. Her father was a waiter who worked away from home. Johannes Mommers had come to the house to do some decorating and had stayed and become friendly with Augusta Pionbini and they had gone out together a fe times. On th day of the murder Augusta Pionbini and Johannes Mommers had left the house together with the intention of going to Southend. they went to a number of pubs and were seen walking back to Sunnyside about 10pm. When they reached the house Augusta Pionbini came in with her throat cut. She managed to get to her mother and said 'O mummy, mummy, save me, save me.' then she died.

Later that night Johannes Mommers was seen walking near Hangman's Wood, Grays, 16 miles away. there he was picked up by the police whom he told he was walking to London. when searched they found a hankerchief with blood stains on it. He said 'We did not quarell. I threw the razor away by the roadside. I do not remember the spot'.

In court Johannes Mommers said that they had gone to a pub and Augusta Pionbini had got quite drunk after 3 whiskies which she was not used to and kept asking him to take her away. He said he tried to sneak away by going through the bathroom at the pub but she spotted him. He told her that he was already married in belgium and that she became quite insistent and then suddenly grabbed his razor that he kept in his hold all and said that if she did not take her away she would slit her throat. He said that he wasnt sure how badly she cut herself but that she cut her throat and then gave him the razor and went into the house and he then left for London walking. He said that it wasnt for a few miles that he thought to look at the razor and discovered that it had blood on it and so he threw it away.

see Evening Telegraph - Wednesday 16 June 1926

see National Archives - HO 144/6897

see Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 18 June 1926