Crimes - Criminals - Judges - Lawyers - Trials

Dec. 12, 1959 - Man Who Confessed To Murder Is Acquitted. 28-year old Irish labourer, Richard Hodson, who confessed to a three-year-old murder was acquitted of capital murder. He had claimed he made the confession after smoking reefer cigarettes and taking eight Preludin tablets to give hi courage. he was taking 20-Preludin tablets a day, he said. The jury was out for 102 minutes before finding Hodson not guilty of the capital murder of 44-year old John O'Shea in April, 1956. O'Shea was found battered at his lodgings in Cambridgegrove, Hammersmith. his wallet containing Pound176 was missing. Hodson contacted the offices of a Sunday newspaper and confessed to the murder. But at his four-day trial, he denied killing O'Shea, and called two witnesses who claimed they had seen him Dublin during late April and early May, 1956. Asked why he confessed, he said: I was in depression. I did not care what happened to me. I was fed up with life and I just wanted to die. I knew that if I was found guilty, I should hang'. Photo Shows:- Picture of Richard Hodson, who was acquitted of capital murder

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28-year 44-year Acquitted Asked Battered Claimed Confessed Confession Contacted Containing Courage Denied Finding Four-day Guilty Hammersmith Hang Happened Hodson Knew Labourer Lodgings Minutes Oshea Reefer Tablets Three-year-old Wallet Witnesses

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