John Straffen - Arrest and Conviction

Arrest and Conviction

Accordingly, the police drove to Straffen's home and arrested him for the murder of Cicely Batstone on the morning of 9 August. Straffen made a statement admitting he had killed Cicely Batstone and also confessed to the murder of Brenda Goddard: "The other girl, I did her the same". He was duly charged with murder and remanded in custody; on 31 August after a two-day hearing at Bath Magistrates' Court Straffen was committed for trial for the murder of Brenda Goddard.

At Taunton Assize Court, on 17 October 1951, Straffen stood trial for murder before Mr Justice Oliver. However, the only witness to be heard was Dr. Peter Parkes, medical officer at Horfield Prison, who testified to Straffen's medical history and stated his conclusion that Straffen was unfit to plead. Oliver commented that "In this country we do not try people who are insane. You might as well try a baby in arms. If a man cannot understand what is going on, he cannot be tried." The jury formally returned a verdict that Straffen was insane and unfit to plead.

Straffen was removed to Broadmoor Institution in Berkshire. Broadmoor had originally been termed a criminal lunatic asylum, but by the Criminal Justice Act 1948 responsibility for it had been transferred to the Ministry of Health and those committed to it had been renamed patients. Inside Broadmoor, Straffen was given a job as a cleaner.