Murder in the Mews: Elvira Barney, 1932 by Mark John Maguire
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- When Michael Stephen was shot dead in a Knightsbridge Mews house in 1932, it could not have been more straightforward: there was no suspect other than his lover, Elvira Barney, they had been heard quarrelling beforehand, and she had been heard by 3 witnesses saying she would shoot him immediately before the fatal shot was fired. If that was not enough, the victim had said he was going to leave her for another woman - and she was reported to have fired a gun at him a few days earlier. It couldn't be simpler. Could it?
Mark John Maguire
nightwatch.nightwatch@gmail.com
A number of people have asked if they can help support my channel - I don't have any adverts on my channel (and don't intend to) but if anyone wishes to help defray the expenses of making these videos in some small way, they can buy me a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/MarkJohnMaguire
defray ??? Frayed not pal!!! Coffee is BAD for you doncha know??? :P
Thank you for your extraordinary work on all these cases. And thank you, too, for not being a mere robotic voice.
My mother (1905-2004) was once married to the Daily Mail's gossip columnist, known as Tommy Thompson, in the mid|late 1930s so she probably knew many of the people involved herein.
However, I was never able to elicit any information on these things, not even of the circumstances of my own birth at a clinic at 27, Welbeck St. Anyway, thank you again, Mr. Maguire (the maiden surname of my father's first wife).
Thank you, Alberto - yes, I'm sure he did! He reported the Profumo affair in the 60s also...
I'm so glad I've found your channel Mark, you have a rare storytelling gift and I hope you never stop doing it. The first time I watched one of your videos, after the first few sentnces I was hooked in and had to listen on. Thank you for all your research and hard work!
That;s a kind and generous comment, Andy - many thanks! I appreciate that.
I agree. I love your presentations--packed full of English history.
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder ppp
I feel the same way. I am so pleased that I found Mark's channel. I had been a huge fan of 'Briefcase' & 'Crime Reel.' Whilst they are very good, they focus on the facts of the case, rather than exploring a deeper and more eloquent, almost literary study of all the characters in the story. Well done Mr. Maguire.
Brilliant exposition - especially the psychological, ontological and social elements that bore down on all concerned. I especially approved of your identifying how the Police (Sgt Campion esp) were actually only held as protectors, ie "servants" of the 'elite's' own status quo or safety (to them) mechanisms. Sir Francis Bacon, later Viscount St Alban would have been deeply dismayed at such a weak prosecution that just danced with the accused - a pathetic, useless yet dangerous vain spoiled woman who showed, apart from this 'trial', just how wasted a life she led. Very Shakespearian also! Talk about the decline of humankind even within the so-called 'elites' who are too often, not 'elite' at all on any level. YOU ARE A WONDERFUL RESEARCHER, PRESENTER, STORY-TELLER.
Thank you very much, Julie!
Beautifully expressed, Julie! Wow!
@@lissalives1 Yes the court completely overlooked the fact that she had an illegal lethal weapon in her possession which she had discharged several times prior to the actual murder. Any other person in similar circumstances would have been summarily hanged. Just remember Derek Bentley who was armed with a knife and knuckle duster but was hanged because his accomplice shot a police officer while Bentley was in police custody.
I’m sure you’ve heard of someone having a million dollar smile. You have a million dollar voice. Thank you for sharing it with us. 🙏❤️🇨🇦
You are so kind - thank you very much!
You have no idea how much it's made my day finding out a new episode has just been released. This is the best channel I follow on UA-cam by far. Thank you :)
What a beautiful comment, Sarah - thank you very much indeed!
I can’t agree more!
Agreed!
@@stephaniesealy9375 absolutely
Ooh ooh what is the new episode?
You write and speak so well and have clearly done a lot of research. These are awesome!
As soon as she said "Now you know who my mother is" we knew she was guilty as hell and would walk
Lmao! Yup! By the echoing of that sentiment, I surmised as much too!
US courts have always been extremely sexist in favor of Karens and still are to this day.
In 2021 we're calling this "male privilege" as political propaganda.
Justice for aristocrat isn't the same as justice for the common man.
How delightful the voice of the narrator is - the crisp, clear accent, the timbre of the voice … it is very engaging. The stories are captivating. I’m glad I found this channel.
From a Texan who now lives in Mexico. :-)
You're right, a poor woman would've been found guilty. She got off because of her status. Pathetic.
And I would not call Sir Percy a man of integrity when he purposely lost 2 cases.
And Elvira Barney was found dead... and nothing of value to the world as a whole was lost. Sounds like not even her family was particularly upset about it.
Money talk so Elvira walks (unsurprisingly)
@J Russ I eute to
Always the way isn't it still do this day most get away with murder or at least 1st degree
This is an inevitable outcome when offspring are raised never being told "no". Never suffering consequences for bad acts ... never being given an ultimatum and following through on it. Too bad that there was no one among her circle who could have told her the truth about the habits she had picked up. Then again... maybe they did.
Thank you, Vanessa - thoughtful comment.
Never held accountable for anything, every whim and impulse indulged by mother dearest (Ma’am)... now where have we heard this before? ...🤔
Thanks to the youtube algorithm for bringing me to your channel. Fascinating episodes and well put together.
Thank you, Riette!
Your videos are the best in this genre, I've watched them all. Not as flashily produced as others, but they have *depth*
Thank you - you are most kind!
I agree best researched, presented and totally fascinating 👍🏻👍🏻.
You speech, and writing is impeccable! You are a joy to listen to.
Totally agree...cool,clear & factual.
Yes, classy rather than flashy... 👍👌
It is sad to see how easily justice can turn a blind eye when there is someone with some social status in the seat. Things have not changed at all through all these years. What a pity. At least she did not have a long joyful life.
It is a little shocking, yes. I also feel a great deal of sympathy for her parents - yes, her father did all he could to ensure her acquittal, but any father would... He seems to have been lurking in the shadows at every stage in her life ready to pick up the pieces. He went over to Paris to arrange her cremation and died the year after Elvira in 1937... He managed to save her from the gallows, but not from herself.
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder You said it so eloquently Mark. He enabled her extremely risky behaviour. Michael's family had shut off his finances, Elvira' s family should have done the same. She would not have had the means to supply herself with drugs and massive amounts of alcohol each day. I might appear to be cold by saying that her father was part of the problem. Maybe he realised that, hence all the damage control that he did for her. Once again another fabulous video. Many thanks. 🥂
Was it ever thus.
@@Topper954 Aye. Thus it was ever.
THE RICH WALK
I particularly appreciated the measured criticism of the prosecution. Subtlety, nuance, ambivalence --- these are in short supply in the genre. Superior prose and richly expressive narration also distinguish your offerings. Wonderful as usual.
AH thank you, Robert - I greatly appreciate your measured consideration - always!
Brilliant review Mr. Block.
Wonderfully said. Just what I was thinking but was unable to express - so well.
Omg! Your ability to convey your feelings is remarkable! Envy, envy! 😝♥️
@@gailjarvis2592 me too! My first name is “Gail” too!
Even though she was acquitted, legally, history has shown her to be fully guilty. Her reputation is permanently marked. Live as she might, drinking, drugs and promiscuity marks a person. Her taunt was expectable...she was most certainly guilty of premeditated murder. She spun down and burnt herself out, and died, and no loss to society.
Your comment reveals your prejudices, as best I understand your shaky grasp of English. The behavioral traits you cite to not lead to murder necessarily. That she took the life of another marks her as a murderer.
She got off totally because of the fact she was upper class. That is what saved her.
Another very well researched and impeccably written presentation that your narration brings together very nicely.
Thank you kindly!
his "turn of phrase" is a joy to hear nowadays.
What an interesting time in British history. Your description of the "bright young things" and their controversial antics was really enlightening - I want to find out more about them. Great video, Mark!
Thank you, Patrick - I'm glad it has provoked you to further study!
What an intelligent deconstruction of the psychology of these dysfunctional young people. The best thing about this series is the calm and rational examination of the psychology of motives and outcomes of the people involved. The Bright Young Things of those days are not that different in their excesses to those of the present day. Today though I think it's fuelled by an even stronger drive for drama, and the technology which encourages sensationalising one's own life for attention. Sad. Great series tough.
.
Thank you, Susan - what these people were thinking, what drove them is what interests me most about these cases, I am glad that this is so for you too!
Typical, one law for us, one law for them!
always
yes! is still going on. there is one law for us poor and another for the rich and powerful.
I am definitely an US.
Justice ...just is nt!
There's a wicked sense of irony here in that Elvira and her family invested so much store in obtaining an acquittal in a 'worldly' Court of Law, only to fall foul, one might say, of 'divine' law through her own self-indulgences: she was effectively her own executioner.
"Lady Justice" wasn't gracing The Old Bailey during this trial and I rather think that she had been surreptitiously replaced by "Adikia" the Greek goddess of injustice and wrong-doing.
Sir Percival Clarke seems to have been noticeably obsequious to his fellow, silk-stockinged blue bloods resulting in a terrible miscarriage of justice.
Yes, she 'Got Away With Murder' but when asking why this was the case I think we have to focus in part on the unwillingness of juries in general to question the ethics employed by the legal fraternity during the trial. It's as if they are very much made aware of their servility to the elite and ignorance of the British judiciary system; clearly an Erin Brockovich character was desperately needed on the jury to force the issues that were avoided by the prosecution.
A very professional presentation of this infamous case Mark and congratulations on your research and summing up!
Thanks a lot, Nick, for your usual thoughtful comment. I agree with you - I would only say that I think the jury could do little but follow the evidence they were given in this case. I found it interesting that they were out for almost 2 hours, which was a very long time for a jury to be out in those days - I can only guess they were struggling between a manslaughter and not guilty decision... So they were trying to exercise some spirit, in spite of all the steerage they had been given by the bewigged principals here!
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder
Mark, in thinking further about this case it would be very interesting to know what Sir Bernard Spilsbury and Robert Churchill thought about the verdict and the capricious nature of the Law in general.
Noting that there was an absence of powder burns on Michael Stephen's hands and voicing the improbability of the trigger being pulled accidentally they must have been bewildered at Clarke's reticence in not pursuing this very important piece of evidence; after all, there had only been TWO people in the room at the time of the shooting. If, forensically, it wasn't Stephen then logically it had to have been Barney and no one else.
Given her penchant for firing the revolver on previous occasions it surely wasn't too difficult to reach a guilty verdict.
The quandary for Spilsbury and Churchill of course lay in knowing that their professional opinion had been rightly sought after in so many other trials and deemed meticulous and error-free. Yet here they were, bearing witness to a high-class, degenerate woman escaping the clutches of the hangman when clearly she was, in reality, nothing more than a murderess; both of their testimonies having been egregiously disparaged.
Barney's 'Sloane ranger' lifestyle of privilege and wealth highlights the difference between her and Ruth Ellis, a woman who perhaps had been poorly used and abused emotionally and physically by David Blakely yet kept her appointment with Pierrepoint in 1955. I realise that there is a fundamental difference in that Ellis did have the intestinal fortitude to confess her guilt.
Sadly history is replete with examples of the 'haut monde' belittling the tenets of civil law and Elvira Barney solicits no sympathy from the vast majority of the public nowadays.
Let's not forget her family disowned her after all of that as well
@@groundedtarot5386
Yes I hadn't realised this until I read about her on wikipedia.
I strongly suspect that her notoriety and the continuing gossip that ensued following her acquittal became too much of an embarrassment for her family to cope with.
I half suspect that they may have believed her to be guilty after all.
@@NickPenlee Indeed, Nick - I don't know what Spilsbury or Churchill thought of the verdict. They must have realised there was something of a circus going on! Spilsbury may have been resigned to it, having been involved in almost 30 years of these cases - as with barristers and judges, he had probably learned not to take the injustices and failures too personally.
The usual high quality of reporting here, and a masterful summing-up at the end. Pity the judge didn't do his duty...
I'm so glad I found this gem! You have a beautiful voice and the gift of storytelling.
💎📚💕
Thank you very much indeed, Pipi!
What a great morning treat. Elvira was the perfect example of an empty and arrogant rich woman with absolutely no purpose in life. You are right, after the trial , she didn't look 27, she was more of a middle-aged woman.
Thank you, Mona - I had to check and re-check her date of birth to make sure I hadn't misread it!
Too much drugs, alcohol and sex debauchery aged this woman. Can't believe she was 27 in those pics.
purpose? we all hedonists now
If she had lived till 54, then she'd have been a middle aged woman at 27!🤣
But now, 13 year old girls can look like they're in their late 20's as they wear so much makeup and they wear unsuitable clothes as well. It's so sad as they're robbed of their childhood.
Thank you for another great narration. I really enjoy your time and effort with this channel.
Thank you, Rusty - that;s nice to hear.
How tragic that this group of people lived such a decadent lifestyle. They gave nothing to society even though they were very wealthy even by today’s standards.
Indeed, Jeremy - I suppose it is the reality of the world of PG Wodehouse. He had a wonderful gift for making the vacuous young aristocratic set of Mayfair and Knightsbridge seem amusing and endearing - the reality is less wholesome!.
In America, it's F. Scott Fitzgerald's ``the Great Gatsby.'' People who are spoiled rotten are, well, spoiled rotten (have you ever seen a piece of fruit revived from such a state?) And, they're unhappy because they have no purpose, no needs to strive to meet (part of the total ruination of character and lives.)
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder Bertie had money and a certain amount of access to fashionable circles, but he wasn't a Bright Young Thing. (As he complained in the stories, when mistaken for one.) He didn't take drugs and he wasn't fashionable and crazy enough. He also had morals and tried to avoid crime. The most you can say is that he drank a lot, but not nearly as much as Nick and Nora Charles. And he seems to have liked food enough (especially when gourmet and free) that it took the place of vices. One could argue that Jeeves' advice and remedies kept him from being too much of a gambler, bad investor, etc., as well as keeping him out of prison when constantly set up to be the Anti-Raffles.
They were young and escaping the rigid generation before them and the misery the post war era brought. Most settled down, you cannot live like that forever plus the Great Depression slow themed them down a bit. I liken it to the first time a kid goes to live on a college campus. There is a new found freedom and at first some get heady. Or how the Hippies who all grew up to be lawyers. Lol
The way Mark John Maguire tells these stories, his voice, pace, tone, clarity, etc. are what I think make these stories so compelling and engaging. I stopped listening to "real crime" podcasts last year because they all sound too generic, and not as compelling. This series is amazing because it's from the side we rarely get to understand getting away with murder. I would suggest you exact the audio and upload them all to iTunes as a podcast. Thanks for the stories. Amazing works. Hoping for more.
Thank you very much for your generous comment! If I could find the time to re-record this series I would do it - and produce them as podcasts, yes. Time just seems to be the most precious commodity!
They Got Away With Murder There no need to read-record. Just export the audio and and save them as an MP3 file format and that’s it. I’ve watched all your videos and they are more than podcast ready. You have a great opening theme, the narration is clear and the story is fluid. I would recommend checking out Anchor app. Its a free app that lets you submit your podcasts to multiple platforms like iApple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, etc., all at once. Thanks again for this amazing series.
Mark has a poifect face for radio too!
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder , You want an extra 20-30 years Mark? STOP CONsuming DEAD ANIMAL carcASSes! I'm 70, I look about 60, and I have NOT been sick since 1986, (not a sniffle) the year I went to a VEGAN diet! I'm also a drinker of about 30 years, otherwise I would look more like 40 or 50. My DO NO HARM diet has saved my life actually!
Mark, Another great video!
" There was little predisposition to sympathise with either the accused or the victim in the case", Judge Humphreys.
This shows that Humphreys understood well enough that these 'bright young things' were the very worst of the parasitic class which ruled the World at the time.. Was this the Judge airing his disgust in the strongest terms which would have been acceptable, at a group within his own class, whose behaviour was an embarrassment to the Establishment?
The continued existence of this whole class was (and still is) dependent on the fact that its parasitic nature was not obvious to the masses. The behaviour of the delinquents among the class exposed it to unwanted scrutiny, and this had to be countered by Humphreys.
Humphreys feigned surprise at the verdict with his statement, 'should we have given her a pat on the back', but I'd be surprised if he hadn't privately sighed with relief.
Thanks Michael - a thoughtful comment. You may well be right. Humphreys' position is a difficult one to understand. He gives a categorical one in terms of the law, but during the trial he seems ambiguous - was he wrestling with different imperatives? It seems so to me. I am sure he was disgusted by the conduct of the bright young things - the psychology of class must have affected him if only subconsciously; I believe Sir Percival Clark struggled with this at a conscious and a sub-conscious level - there is nothing else that can account for his woeful prosecution of the case, in my view. In his book Humphreys professes not to understand Clark's inadequate prosecution, but he was an astute man and must have had a good grasp of the dynamics of the situation. Indeed, his referring to - as I believe - Madame Fahmy case, suggests that he understand very well the undercurrents and external pressures being brought to bear...
You speak of class when you should speak of disregard for the mores of youth. I don't doubt that the judge fully supported the contemporary class system.
It was all about the class system in England, but money could have changed hands.
Was?
Karen Voncripps The same is true here in the US. Donald Trump would never have gotten away with boasting (on tape) about sexually assaulting multiple women if he had been Black &/or poor.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 America is only the rebellious step child of England. Nothing has changed.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 or Biden now you mention it
@@saydvoncripps Britain has progressed since those days. Would anyone believe in those days that the mother in law of the future King of England would come from a family of coal miners and labourers ?
Why doesn’t this channel have 1m subscribers!!? It’s fantastic!
You're very kind to say so, John! Thank you!
Waiting for the next one!
But it has 987 wonderful comments from people who were so impressed with the quality of these videos, that they simply had to express their joy!
That is in a way worth a lot more than 1 million subscribers who couldn't bother to write a comment.
Maybe Mark doesn't have that many subscribers because this is very serious reporting, not designed to sensationalise the story, but to share it as it had happened.
Proper documentary makers do it for the love of producing it and they enjoy every stage of it, they stay up all night not even feeling tired.
I can see this is the case with Mark and I'm so glad, I can benefit from his enthusiasm and expertise.
Thank you so much Mark. 🥀
I think the judge, the prosecutor and the defence barrister were in cahoots.
Probably members of the same gentleman's club.
Beautifully-written. Sterling work! Perfect music, too. 'The joy of living a life of excess, seemed to have become a compulsive and tawdry one, made arduous by its very predictability.' Great line, sir!
You're very kind, Antony - many thanks indeed!
Can Juan be naughty, and...TAWdry??? "I tawt I taw a putty tat!?!" TaDAH!!!
theonly...Little known...FACT! Benny Hill actually said that FIRST! :P
It seems strange to have a feeling of exaltation when another of Mark's murder stories pops up in my notification box. I'll just put it down to guilty pleasure ! They should have renamed this lady Elvira Barmy. Establishment class structure seems to be at work here and debauchery can be deadly. Truly excellent research, many thanks.
Thank you, Johnny - we must allow ourselves at least one guilty pleasure!
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder It was definately class structure at its finest... what a joke of a trial...!
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder As long as it's not murder!
David Nunn FCC Co c
An altogether useless person. Couldn't even make use of getting off!
I love this channel!! Wonderfully researched and of course, THAT VOICE 🖤 perfect narration. Thank you for all your hard work!
Thank you, Caitlyn - you're very kind to say so!
"Hard" work is pushing a wheelbarrow full of fresh concrete for 8 hours a day! I did that in 1974ish as a young man, surrounded by drunken iron-workers! lol. This is ' a walk in the park' in comparison.
Your talents at narration and story telling are brilliant! Nobody does it better.
Thank you so much, Jan!
ua-cam.com/video/SaV-6qerkqI/v-deo.html
Interesting to note that she died from a "hemorrhaging"...which, ironically, is how her lover died, too, after she shot him.
Karma is such a clever player!
...or mere coincidence🙄
That is a typical death by severe alcoholics.
No point in having a jury if the judge can determine the verdict.
"Five weeks in prison can reek havoc with your hair" Noted! LOL Your best line ever! Thank you for another fabulous video.
Thanks Lina - I'm glad that appealed to you. Actually I rather suspect that her situation in Holloway was so comfortable she could have had her hairdresser visit her, had she wished it!
"wreak" havoc
Well, a visit to the barber every month is not extravagant.
"worse for wear" was a nice touch as well!
"A man, has as many masters, as he has vices" saint Augustine.
So true
Elvira and her set lived in the world of Lord Peter Wimsey. This story is like stepping into one of Dorothy Sayers’ mystery novels, such as “Murder Must Advertise.” And the Barney trial is reminiscent of Harriet Vane’s trial in “Strong Poison.” But “Strong Poison” was published two years before the Elvira Barney case happened, so the novel couldn’t have been based on or inspired by the real trial.
Do you do the drawings yourself?
Edit: Ah! I just noticed in the lower corner that the signature appears to be yours. Bravo! They're really masterful. I wish I had the skill to imbue such minimalist drawings with the level of emotion & intrigue that you're able to do.
Yes! Thank you! They are very unpretentious - merely scribbles, done to fill a space where there is no suitable image, and also partly to try to imagine the scene in some very rough way...
They Got Away With Murder They Got Away With Murder Well, all I can say is that if these are what you think of as "merely scribbles," then I can't imagine what your actual work is like! Must be wonderful!
Glad you are back, this one was excellent! Your sketches are really good! Susan
Had she been poor the outcome would have been guilty,justice is blind when it comes to rich !!! Great job
I am quite sure of it - many thanks, Gisela!
The case of poor Ruth Ellis is a prime example. no social standing,no money, so no hope for her.
No, it ISN'T blind when it comes to the rich - blind justice implies that justice isn't a respecter of persons and that rich or poor doesn't matter.
@@gtw4546 exactly right. It's a shame how much words have changed(or lost?) their meaning.
This is so addictive. Excellent narration and highly compelling stories. Just amazing!
Another excellently done, researched episode. You can only think what a sad waste this woman's life was. It could almost be the subject of an Evelyn Waugh satire, except for the real horror that she did to herself and others. Looking forward to your next video!
Many thanks - it's interesting you mention Evelyn Waugh, as he based many of the characters in his novels on Elvira's friends.
Why the hell don't you have a show on Investigation Discovery channel? Someone !!! listen to this bloke !!! he's a champion
The treatment of that lady on the stand giving testimony was cruel and uncalled for. She was just trying to help and had nothing to gain from serving as a witness. She did not deserve such insults and public humiliation. Disgusting
Thank you very much!
So glad I found your site.Addicted, Georgia,USA
Thank you very much, Angela - I'm delighted you like it!
Angela Major Me too!
Me three!
Wish you reported these interesting videos more often,as many of your subscribers have suggested.Great speaking voice,and narrative.
Thank you, Sarah - they take a lot of work and I do the best I can. This is my 20th video, and I am quite astonished I have got this far!
Your details in these videos is a testament of your hardwork. May I suggest one day you write a book on theses and future episodes.I look foward to the next video.
Interesting
A life style of everything gets you nothing
Justice and money often results in justice being told to run along. Most likely because the prosecutor and the judge ran in her parent's circles, there was a favor or two requested or returned.
I always look forward to your documentaries. So well done. Thank you.
Thank you Elizabeth!
Once again, an exemplary production in my estimation. The narrative is clear, compelling and erudite. I find it to be couched in just enough context to transport me to the early twentieth century without wandering off topic and very detailed in regard to research and description. Combine all this with a cultured and calming style of reading and this is my current favourite channel in the real crime drama by quite a long shot. Thank you for making this content and helping to keep UA-cam worthwhile.
Many thanks for that wonderful comment, Tom - it really does make it worthwhile doing these videos! All the best!
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurderI'd like to add that my phone changed 'genre' that I intended to write to 'drama' which is wrong. That being said, if I edit the comment, experience tells me I'll lose that precious ❤ you generously awarded me so I'll just leave the swypo.
@@Tom_Bee_ Oh the tricks our phones can play on us!
Another incredibly informative video, the research is outstanding thank you Mark.
Thank you - I'm glad you approve!
I’m just loving your Chanel ....thank you 😀😀😀
You are so welcome! Thank you, Sharan!
Do you like his Prada too?
And in a rather morbid, if you will - way: so am I!
Been waiting for this, lovely to see you back again. Your voice is so soothing, that murder doesn't seem so bad 😂😂😂
Thank you very much!
@Lebwuh I know, he was recommended on a crime fb page I follow and have watched all his videos and had been waiting on the new one. Back in the day people were so polite and respectful even too the murderer. " would you like to get your fur coat as it will be chilly on the way to the police station? " 🤣
@Lebwuh Ahhhh thank you. I'm Irish 🇨🇮
@Lebwuh Ahhhh thank you, it's lovely just after the rain and the sun eventually comes out. Which is rare here. ☔☀️🙄
Hahahahaha!
This certainly promises to be great listening , many thanks for your wonderful taste in choice of crime that requires investigating further .......
Thank you Christine...
I want to shout, "Bravo! Bravo! Encore!" and lay a dozen red roses at your feet. Your voice is velvet and good wine by candlelight, in a cozy chair by a softly crackling fire. 💖
How kind of you to say so - thank you very much indeed!
Had to post again to commend your superb analysis of the class prejudices which led to this outrageous miscarriage of justice, Mr Maguire, thank you again for your razor sharp perception and wonderfully evocative narrative.
You are very kind - I am delighted you have thought so highly of it! :)
In that opening photo, Elvira maintains a gloating, smug sort of sneer. I immediately thought, ``if that's the victim in this story, she probably deserved what she got.''
There's a sort of Dorian Gray element to this too. She's a person who has been corrupted by excess and a frivolous, pointless, frenzied lifestyle. He's probably found her exciting and dangerous to begin with. The maintaining of the social order which is shown here is disgusting. She should have been prosecuted for murder/manslaughter and for assaulting the police officer. Her story reminds me of the kind of fate so often suffered by superstars when they have ridiculous wealth and seem to be protected from any repercussions of bad behaviour. I do feel slightly sorry for her - it's a waste of two young lives. The fact that the prosecutor put up such a weak fight, the insulting of witnesses and the judge's clearly directing the jury all suggest that the outcome was predetermined. Perhaps it would have been better for Elvira if she had been found guilty of manslaughter at least. Even when the victim's family was affluent and presumably quite well connected he couldn't get any justice - what hope would there have been for anyone else?
Yes, Evelyn - I suspect if the young man's family had been from a poor background he would have been savaged by the defence...
Thanx alot.This is simply brilliant stuff pal!!!!!
Thank you, Jan - I'm glad you liked it!
Thank you Mark, another fantastic story from you, I guess we are many with one common guilty pleasure :-)
Indeed, Luna! Many thanks.
Yay!!! Another video!!!
I'm on quarantine and SOOOOO EXCITED TO SEE THIS!
Thanks Barbara - stay safe!
Money never makes one person better than another, the deference of those without gives them the arrogance to believe they are.
I quite agree!
Great comment!
It's our fault then?
I think, treat a few peopke like Roman emperors, don't 've surprised when they act like one.
It's our failure to have not stopped them years ago.
So incredibly good to hear you again!❤
Thank you, Norma - I am glad!
Almost forgot...thanks so much for all your hard work. 👏❤
You are so welcome
Wow. The way you express this story is poignant. What excellent lessons are here.
Thank you very much!
Great efforts! Can’t imagine you must’ve spent so much time and energy finding the right material and resources to make this long documentary. Kudos. Also loved watching it
Keep up the good work
Love the in-depth stories and that you give us almost 3 stories each time. The reported story, the trial version, then (the best bit) what is probably the real story. It's like you walk in the player's shoes...maybe when you're sketching the scenes. Plus, your voice. As a woman, it does things to me.
Ah that's a nice thing to say, Lora - thank you!
LoraLu...STOP THAT or you WILL go blind!!! I 'see' U R already half way there!
I think Michael because he had no money (income) was willing to put up with a lot because she was his cash cow. Elvira on other hand insecure because Michael was younger than her and imagined could find someone else more suitable. So she was insecure that at any moment could be replaced by someone younger. She controlled her parents, needed to be in control, believed she had no boundaries.She did not love him or she would never have staged gun in his hands.
Absolutely love your channel its the best in this genre.... Thank you so much x
Thank you, Lorna - it is great to hear that!
Wasted Lives describes both the victim and perpetrator aptly.
Very much up to your usual high standards Mr. Maguire! Thank you !
Many thanks, Mr Piper!
I know I am not on topic, but this channel has to be the best gem I have ever found on UA-cam.
That is certainly on topic to me - thank you!
"A law for thee and not for me"
Aye, we'll never see Andrew investigated as he should be!
As always, your video is beautifully presented and narrated- your exploration of the prosecution's actions was exceptional.
Thank you, Asha - I am delighted you liked it!
YUP! Those with the $hekel$ (BANKSTERS) make the laws for us ...PEONS!
Yikes! What a narcissist Elvira was. 😬 Plus I thought in the thumbnail it was of a 40+ year old woman, and apparently it was Elvira at 27! All that hard living, and putting all that stress on herself really aged her.
Good morning Mark, what a lovely surprise to wake to!
Morning! I am glad it is a nice surprise, Bilinda
More knighthoods & titles than I've had hot dinners!
your stuff is beautifully done, so glad I have found it. Seen so much very poorly made true crime stuff on youtube it's a breath of fresh air to have found your channel, keep up the wonderful work.
Thank you very much indeed - I intend to keep going with these for a while yet!
I have recently found your channel and I really enjoy the cases you cover, particularly I like the time in which most cases took place. Really well researched. Looking forward to the next one!!
Thank you, Debbie!
Ruth Ellis similar case however she was a traumatised woman from a poor background xxx
Yes indeed! Had I had more time available here I would have liked to have made that comparison because the cases are very similar in so many respects - except that Ruth didn't have such powerful friends. I am glad you made that comparison!
They Got Away With Murder I have always taken an interest in Ruth Ellis and how pathetic ( in the strict use of the word ) the woman was , and how that case was reflective of the class differences between her and her lover and therefore in the face of the Establishment , she had to be seen to be found guilty . Thank you so much for a very thorough , intelligent , and non sensationalist presentation , a rare gem these days xxx
@@morriganwitch I agree with you - the Ruth Ellis case makes your face burn with the injustice of it.
I can't see how this is in any way similar to Ruth Ellis' case except they are both women who shot their lovers. Ellis shot in front of many witnesses and confessed afterwards. Barney was smart enough not to confess and rich enough to afford a good lawyer.
@@mcmd2009 Both were in volatile, destructive relationships with a history of violence.
Excellent narration, very well done, but as usual with British courts, no real justice for the victim.
Many thanks, Derek.
Absolutely brilliant - as always, Mark! Thank you!
My pleasure! Thank you, Jo!
I so look forward to your videos!! Thank you ‼️‼️‼️
You are so welcome - thank you
Quality always better than quantity. A lot of work goes into these videos. This one is nearly an hour long. So worth the wait 😉
@@irishcoffeetruecrime Thank you, Redz - I am so glad you liked it. I always feel as if the end result is the tip of the iceberg!
I love how you illuminate the drama of trials. My older brother was an incredible public defender and is currently a federal judge (in California). I really appreciate how you bring the context around figures in the legal system into your telling of events ☺️ you're very insightful
Thank you very much, Mithra - how interesting that must be! Very best wishes to you.
Guilty as hell as I'm sure Hastings must have known so his defence of her was totally cynical and amoral. Mind you, as long as these dissipated and useless toffs only shoot each other I don't much care.
Ha Ha!
I am sending this video to my daughter in law. She is a professor of women's studies. This is an example of intersecting power.
Please do - I hope she finds the time to watch it. My good wishes to her and to you.
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder she was impressed at your wrap up and how you pointed out the intersections of power.
I found your site by accident. Watched one video and immediately subscribed. I think that you are and excellent historian and narrator. Looking forward to catching up on your other videos. Greatly appreciate this. Thank you very much.
100% the best read stories on UA-cam!! Thank you for all the uploads :)
Thank you, Ben!
I've recently stumbled across your channel, and loving the high quality uploads. These are well researched and I commend you for your ability to find visuals for these older cases.
Thank you - yes, the visuals are a real challenge in many of these!
At 43:47, "...essentially decent men, men of integrity..." I'm sorry, but they are neither decent nor have any integrity at all if they switch it off to accomodate their peers.
I agree. I would describe them as totally corrupt.
Knights of the realm - a mutual admiration society where you get to scratch mine and I get to scratch yours.
PS watch "The ruling class" with Peter O'Toole.
Oh Dear! I've listened and watched your entire playlist because it's so great. Can't wait for the next posting. Thank you.
Thank you! I'm making progress on the next one.
I’m SO delighted to find your channel! Your productions are some of the very very best I’ve seen and you do a excellent job with the storytelling.. I occasionally get bored with historical crime, but not with your videos.. it’s definitely about the presentation and you nail it.. really! Much appreciate the time and effort you put into the story and finding historical images that actually apply to the story .. thanks for making historical stuff interesting again!!
ATB ~Ruth
Thank you, Ruth - I am delighted you have liked the channel. It makes the effort worth the while - all the best to you too.
I love this channel along forgotten lives, Brief case, crime reel and dark curiosities.
Many thanks indeed!
Same! Love them all!
Also Obsolete Oddities, and (for more modern fare) That Chapter.
I've been waiting on this and couldn't get to it quick enough! I love these older crimes,so well told. Thank you!
Thank you, Sandi - much appreciated.
Fabulous! Great narration, research, and exploration of this case. Thanks for all your hard work in producing these brilliant documentaries! :)
Thanks a lot, Mel!