Maurice Freedman

Maurice Freedman murdered his girlfriend Annette Friedson 31 whose throat he cut at 103 Fore Street, London on 26 January 1932.

Maurice Freedman and Annette Friedson had know each other for about 18 months and had later become lovers. At some point Annette Friedson discovered that Maurice Freedman was already married. They had begun to quarrel often. Maurice Freedman was an ex-policeman who was in debt and had a gambling habit.

On 24 January Annette Friedson ended her relationship with Maurice Freedman and then on 26 January he went to her place of work at HR Munns & Co where she had worked for 12 years. to ask her to come back to him. He said that he took the knife out to take his own life and that there was a scuffle as she tried to stop him and her neck was cut on the right side. A man entering the building on business at about 9.26am said he saw them on the stairs having a heated discussion as he went up and he raised his hat and said hello as he passed. Moments later she was struck by Maurice Freedman with the razor.

There was blood on the first landing, more blood and her handbag on the second flight of stairs and Annette Friedson was dead on the third flight of stairs lying on her back with her arms outstretched. Her head was on the 8th stair.

He had been seen loitering about outside the building around 9.20am waiting for her to get to work.

After he fled and was later arrested by police outside his home at Oakfield Road, Clapton in London. When arrested the police said 'We are police officers and are going to arrest you on suspision of murdering a girl yesterday in the city.'. He said 'I am the man you are after. I admit cutting her throat in the city and will give you no trouble. I have been waiting about all night. I am fed up and was going to give myself up for the job.' They then searched him for the razor and he said 'You wont find the razor on me'. He later denied this confession in court saying that he took the knife out to commit suicide. He said he threw the knife in a canal.

see National Archives - CRIM 1/596

see True Crime Library

see The Straits Times, 7 April 1932, Page 5