Guenther Podola
Encyclopedia
Guenther Fritz Erwin Podola (8 February 1929 – 5 November 1959) was a German
-born petty thief, and the last man to be hanged in Britain
for killing a police officer. His trial was notable and controversial because of his defence of amnesia
and the use of expert witness
es to determine whether his illness was real.
, Germany
. He was a fanatical member of the Hitler Youth
movement. Podola moved to Canada
in August 1952. On 1 March 1957 he was sentenced to 10 days' imprisonment following a conviction for burglary
in Montreal
. Then on 26 March he was sentenced for another 11 counts of theft and burglary and imprisoned for 2 years. On 25 July 1958 Podola was released and deported back to West Germany
.
on 21 May 1959. He assumed the alias of Mike Colato and pretended to be a gangster. He broke into the house of an American model, Verne Schiffmann, and stole jewellery and furs worth £
2,000. He tried to blackmail her in return for her possessions, asking for £500, but she notified the police who attempted to arrest Podola on 12 July 1959 in Kensington
. Podola shot one of the officers, Detective Sergeant Raymond Purdy, through the heart with a Radom 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He was later apprehended and Podola claimed he was beaten up by the police and that as a result he lost his memory of events. The police claimed that he was merely hit on the head when they broke down the door to his hotel room.
, he replied: "I do not remember the crime for which I stand accused ... I am unable to answer the charges." He was defended by Frederick Lawton QC
. Neurologist
Michael Ashby
gave evidence as an expert medical witness at his trial, as did psychiatrist
Archibald Leigh, who claimed Podola was feigning his illness.
The jury took 38 minutes to find Podola guilty of capital murder, and he was sentenced to "suffer death in the manner authorized by law" by the trial judge, Mr Justice Edmund Davies
. He later confessed his guilt. The Home Secretary, R.A. Butler, under a little-known and little-used power, referred the case to the Court of Criminal Appeal, which upheld the conviction, and the Attorney-General's refusal of leave to appeal to the House of Lords brought the case to a close in a fresh outburst of public controversy. Podola was hanged at Wandsworth prison
at 9.45 a.m. on 5 November 1959. He was buried in the prison graveyard (grave 59).Apart from his execution being the last for that of a police officer's murder in the United Kingdom, it took place five years before the last execution of any criminal and six years before the abolition of the death penalty.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born petty thief, and the last man to be hanged in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for killing a police officer. His trial was notable and controversial because of his defence of amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
and the use of expert witness
Expert witness
An expert witness, professional witness or judicial expert is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have expertise and specialised knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially and legally...
es to determine whether his illness was real.
Life
Podola was born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was a fanatical member of the Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
movement. Podola moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in August 1952. On 1 March 1957 he was sentenced to 10 days' imprisonment following a conviction for burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Then on 26 March he was sentenced for another 11 counts of theft and burglary and imprisoned for 2 years. On 25 July 1958 Podola was released and deported back to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
London
Podola moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 21 May 1959. He assumed the alias of Mike Colato and pretended to be a gangster. He broke into the house of an American model, Verne Schiffmann, and stole jewellery and furs worth £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2,000. He tried to blackmail her in return for her possessions, asking for £500, but she notified the police who attempted to arrest Podola on 12 July 1959 in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. Podola shot one of the officers, Detective Sergeant Raymond Purdy, through the heart with a Radom 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He was later apprehended and Podola claimed he was beaten up by the police and that as a result he lost his memory of events. The police claimed that he was merely hit on the head when they broke down the door to his hotel room.
Trial
The start of the trial was delayed for nine days while a jury heard evidence of whether Podola was medically fit to stand trial. After 3½ hours of deliberation, they decided he was. A fresh jury was called to hear the trial itself. When asked for his pleaPlea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
, he replied: "I do not remember the crime for which I stand accused ... I am unable to answer the charges." He was defended by Frederick Lawton QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
. Neurologist
Neurologist
A neurologist is a physician who specializes in neurology, and is trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders.Neurology is the medical specialty related to the human nervous system. The nervous system encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. A specialist...
Michael Ashby
Michael Ashby
Michael George Corbett Ashby, M.A., M.B., M.R.C.P., F.R.C.P. was a consultant neurologist at the Whittington Hospital, London and an expert witness for the prosecution in the failed trial of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams.-Life:Ashby was born in London, the son of Arthur Brian Ashby, a...
gave evidence as an expert medical witness at his trial, as did psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Archibald Leigh, who claimed Podola was feigning his illness.
The jury took 38 minutes to find Podola guilty of capital murder, and he was sentenced to "suffer death in the manner authorized by law" by the trial judge, Mr Justice Edmund Davies
Edmund Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies
Herbert Edmund Edmund-Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies, PC was a British judge.Born Herbert Edmund Davies at Mountain Ash in Mid Glamorgan, he was the third son of Morgan John Davies and Elizabeth Maud Edmunds...
. He later confessed his guilt. The Home Secretary, R.A. Butler, under a little-known and little-used power, referred the case to the Court of Criminal Appeal, which upheld the conviction, and the Attorney-General's refusal of leave to appeal to the House of Lords brought the case to a close in a fresh outburst of public controversy. Podola was hanged at Wandsworth prison
Wandsworth (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south west London, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in western Europe, with similar capacity to Liverpool...
at 9.45 a.m. on 5 November 1959. He was buried in the prison graveyard (grave 59).Apart from his execution being the last for that of a police officer's murder in the United Kingdom, it took place five years before the last execution of any criminal and six years before the abolition of the death penalty.