Herbert Hannam
Encyclopedia
Detective Superintendent Herbert Hannam (died 1983) was a British policeman who worked for Scotland Yard
.
In 1956 he took over the investigation of the activities of suspected serial killer
John Bodkin Adams
, who worked in Eastbourne
. His aristocratic air led to the press dubbing him "The Count". Despite opposition from the BMA
, DPP
and the Eastbourne
police, he found evidence to prosecute Adams on four counts of murder.
Adams was only charged with two though, the murders of Edith Alice Morrell
and Gertrude Hullett
. He was tried for the former in 1957 but controversially found not guilty. The Attorney General
entered an unprecedented plea of nolle prosequi
regarding Mrs Hullett. Hannam suspected political interference.
Hannam was later promoted to Commander but left CID
in 1960, becoming a security adviser.
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
.
Career
Hannam became famous for solving the infamous Teddington Towpath Murders in 1953.In 1956 he took over the investigation of the activities of suspected serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster and suspected serial killer. Between the years 1946 and 1956, more than 160 of his patients died in suspicious circumstances. Of these, 132 left him money or items in their will. He was tried and acquitted for...
, who worked in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. His aristocratic air led to the press dubbing him "The Count". Despite opposition from the BMA
BMA
BMA may stand for:* Backup Management Applications* Baltimore Museum of Art* Bangkok Metropolitan Administration* Bangladesh Military Academy* Baptist Missionary Association of America, an association of churches in the United States...
, DPP
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
and the Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
police, he found evidence to prosecute Adams on four counts of murder.
Adams was only charged with two though, the murders of Edith Alice Morrell
Edith Alice Morrell
Edith Alice Morrell , was a resident of Eastbourne and patient of the suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams. He was tried for her murder in 1957 but acquitted...
and Gertrude Hullett
Gertrude Hullett
Gertrude "Bobby" Hullett , a resident of Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, was a patient of the suspected serial killer Dr John Bodkin Adams, who was charged with her murder but never tried for it.-Jack Hullett:...
. He was tried for the former in 1957 but controversially found not guilty. The Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
entered an unprecedented plea of nolle prosequi
Nolle prosequi
Nolle prosequi is legal term of art and a Latin legal phrase meaning "to be unwilling to pursue", a phrase amounting to "please do not prosecute". It is a phrase used in many common law criminal prosecution contexts to describe a prosecutor's decision to voluntarily discontinue criminal charges...
regarding Mrs Hullett. Hannam suspected political interference.
Hannam was later promoted to Commander but left CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
in 1960, becoming a security adviser.