Thomas McDowell
Encyclopedia
Thomas McDowell is a convicted British
murderer responsible for the death of Andreas Hinz.
Hinz, a 37 year old homosexual trainee rabbi
, gifted linguist, and German national, had spent the night of 3 July 2002, drinking alone in the Black Cap
public house, a gay bar in Camden
, north London. After striking up a conversation with McDowell, they left the bar together in the early hours and returned to McDowell's flat in Baynes Street, Camden.
After initially laying Hinz out with a "martial arts" kick, McDowell proceeded to strangle Hinz before dismembering his body with a rip saw
. The body parts were wrapped in bin liners and put out onto a street near St Pancras Way for the refuse collectors. Their subsequent decomposition, exacerbated by summer heat, led to a "terrible smell" and a cloud of flies that eventually led to their gruesome discovery.
At McDowell's trial two years later, it was revealed that he had suffered abuse at the hands of a man as a child and grew up with a sense of hatred towards homosexuals, as well as suffering from a personality disorder. McDowell was a student at the time of the murder and had also been working as a male prostitute. McDowell admitted manslaughter
on the grounds of diminished responsibility
and was sentenced to life imprisonment at Southwark
Crown Court
on 30 September 2004. The trial judge spoke of his doubt as to whether it would ever be thought safe to release McDowell back into the community, and recommended that he should never be released. He began his life sentence at Rampton Secure Hospital
in Nottinghamshire.
McDowell is one of around 50 prisoners currently in the prison system who have reportedly been issued with whole life tariffs
and are unlikely ever to be released.
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...
murderer responsible for the death of Andreas Hinz.
Hinz, a 37 year old homosexual trainee rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, gifted linguist, and German national, had spent the night of 3 July 2002, drinking alone in the Black Cap
Black Cap (London pub)
The Black Cap is a gay pub in Camden Town, London known for its drag cabaret.-History:The pub was initially called the Mother Black Cap after a local legend concerning a witch, and had that name, according to licensing records, as early as 1751....
public house, a gay bar in Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, north London. After striking up a conversation with McDowell, they left the bar together in the early hours and returned to McDowell's flat in Baynes Street, Camden.
After initially laying Hinz out with a "martial arts" kick, McDowell proceeded to strangle Hinz before dismembering his body with a rip saw
Rip saw
In woodworking, a cut made parallel to the direction of the grain of the workpiece is known as a rip cut. If one were to cut a tree trunk in half from top to bottom, this would be a rip cut — but the term also applies to cutting free lumber....
. The body parts were wrapped in bin liners and put out onto a street near St Pancras Way for the refuse collectors. Their subsequent decomposition, exacerbated by summer heat, led to a "terrible smell" and a cloud of flies that eventually led to their gruesome discovery.
At McDowell's trial two years later, it was revealed that he had suffered abuse at the hands of a man as a child and grew up with a sense of hatred towards homosexuals, as well as suffering from a personality disorder. McDowell was a student at the time of the murder and had also been working as a male prostitute. McDowell admitted manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
on the grounds of diminished responsibility
Diminished responsibility
In criminal law, diminished responsibility is a potential defense by excuse by which defendants argue that although they broke the law, they should not be held fully criminally liable for doing so, as their mental functions were "diminished" or impaired. The defense's acceptance in American...
and was sentenced to life imprisonment at Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
on 30 September 2004. The trial judge spoke of his doubt as to whether it would ever be thought safe to release McDowell back into the community, and recommended that he should never be released. He began his life sentence at Rampton Secure Hospital
Rampton Secure Hospital
Rampton Secure Hospital is a high security psychiatric hospital near the village of Woodbeck between Retford and Rampton in the Bassetlaw District of Nottinghamshire, England...
in Nottinghamshire.
McDowell is one of around 50 prisoners currently in the prison system who have reportedly been issued with whole life tariffs
Life imprisonment (England and Wales)
In England and Wales, life imprisonment is a sentence which lasts until the death of the prisoner, although in most cases the prisoner will be eligible for parole after a fixed period set by the judge. This period is known as the "minimum term"...
and are unlikely ever to be released.