Charge Against Doctor Of Murdering Wealthy Widow

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28158, 22 December 1956, Page 8

Charge Against Doctor Of Murdering Wealthy Widow

LONDON, December 20.

A portly Eastbourne doctor, John Bodkin Adams, today was remanded in custody for eight days at Eastbourne Court on a charge of having murdered a wealthy widow.

The Eastbourne courtroom was crammed to capacity when Adams appeared and was formally charged with the murder of 81-year-old Mrs Edith Alice Morrell, widow of a food importer.

Adams appeared in Court in a bluestriped suit and a dark tie. He spent last night in a cell after his arrest by Scotland Yard detectives at his Eastbourne surgery yesterday.

Adams is a 57-year-old bachelor. Mrs Morrell died at her Eastbourne home on November 13, 1950. After being cremated, her ashes were scattered in the English Channel.

. Scotland Yard's Superintendent. Herbert Hannam, who is leading investigations into the charges, told the Court *that when Adams was told he would be charged, he replied: ‘‘Can you prove it was murder?”

Later, the doctor was alleged to have remarked: ‘‘l did not think you could prove murder; she was dying in any event.” Superintendent Hannam further told the Court that after a long pause, Adams added: ‘‘Will there be any more charges of murder?”

Superintendent Hannam said he told Adams he could not discuss the question of further charges with him. He added ’ that he told Adams he was taking him to the police station.

As they went into the hall of the house, Adam’s receptionist approached him, Superintendent Hannam added, and ‘‘she grabbed his left hand with her right hand. He said to her: ‘I will see you in Heaven.’’’

Mr Melford Stevenson, for the prosecution, proposed that 16 charges other than murder which Adams is facing should stand adjourned.

After evidence of the arrest on the murder charge, he said the date should be fixed when he could outline the facts relating to that charge. Adams then was remanded in custory for eight days.

Adams earlier had been told by the Court Clerk when he was brought from the cells: ‘‘ln addition to 13 charges on which you were remanded which were read out to you when you last appeared, you are now charged with the following four charges.’’

The doctor stood motionless with his hands tightly gripping the dock edge as the Clerk read out the murder charge and three charges under the Dangerous Drugs Act and Regulations. The three charges, other than the

murder charge, preferred against Adams today, alleged that on November 24 this year he attempted to conceal two bottles of morphine, contrarv to the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1951, that he obstructed a police officer in the exercise of his powers under the Act and that he failed to comply with the Dangerous Drugs Regulations relating to the keeping of a register or other records.

The 13 charges which he faced last month mentioned the names of five women and two men. They included allegations of forging national health prescriptions to obtain elastic garments and medicines, and of making false representations to procure “the burning of the remains” of four elderly wealthy persons.

Adams was alleged to have made false representations that he had no financial interest in their deaths so as to procure their cremations.

Adams will appear in Court again on December 29 when there is expected to be a brief formal hearing.

Three hours’ after leaving the dock, Adams was driven from Eastbourne police station to Brixton Prison, London. He will remain in Brixton until his next appearance in Court.