§ 77. Mr. Robert Cookeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of previous convictions of persons found guilty of capital murder since the Homicide Act, 1957, came into force, the nature of the previous offences committed by these persons and the sum totals in each category for the period 1957 to 1964, for England and Wales and for Scotland.
§ Sir F. SoskiceThe following is the Answer: 215W
216W217W
PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS OF PERSONS FOUND GUILTY OF CAPITAL MURDER A. ENGLAND AND WALES Year Number of persons found guilty of capital murder Number of previous convictions, by types of offences (excluding additional findings of guilt recorded at the same time as the conviction for the principal offence and offences taken into consideration by the court in passing sentence) Total Violence against the person Sex Breaking and Entering Receiving, Frauds and False Pretences Larceny Motoring Others 1957 3 — — — — — — — — 1 4 — — 1 — 2 1 — 1 1 — — 1 — — — — 1 1 — — — 1 — — — 1958 1 6 — — 3 — 3 — — 1 4 — 1 — — 1 — 2 1 12 — — 2 — 8 — 2 1 3 — — — 1 1 — 1 1 5 — — 2 — 3 — — 1 21 — 4 — 1 15 — 1 1 18 — — 5 — 10 — 3 1 5 2 — — — 3 — — 1959 2 — — — — — — — — 1 4 — — 2 — 2 — — 1 2 1 1 — — — — — 1 1 — — — — 1 — — 1 1 — — 1 — — — — 1960 2 — — — — — — — — 1 3 1 — — — 2 — — 1 5 — — — — 2 3 — 1 4 — — — 1 3 — — 1 5 — — 1 — 4 — — 1 7 — — 1 — 6 — — 1 3 — — 2 — 1 — — 1 6 — — — — 2 2 2 1961 3 — — — — — — — — 1 4 — — — — 3 — 1 1 6 — — — 1 1 4 — 1 3 1 — — — 2 — — 1 12 1 1 1 1 5 — 3 1 4 — — 1 — 2 — 1 1 4 — — 4 — — — — 1962 1 — — — — — — — — 1 4 — — 1 — 3 — — 1 2 — — — — 2 — — 1 7 — — 1 1 — 1 4 1963 3 — — — — — — — — 1 8 — — 2 — 6 — — 1964 1 6 4 1 — — 1 — — 1 2 — — — — 1 — 1 1 5 — — 1 2 — 2 — 1 3 — — 1 — 2 — — 1 2 — — — — 2 — — 1 11 1 — 2 — 5 2 1 Totals 52 204 11 8 35 9 104 15 22
B. SCOTLAND* Year Number of persons found guilty of capital murder Number of previous convictions, by types of offences (excluding additional findings of guilt recorded at the same time as the conviction for the principal offence and offences taken into consideration by the court in passing sentence) Total Violence against the person Sex Breaking and Entering Receiving, Frauds and False Pretences Larceny Motoring Other 1958 1 18 1 1 13 — 3 — — 1 10 1 — 2 — 1 1 5 1959 1 1 — — — — 1 — — 1960 1 — — — — — — — — 1 1 — — — — 1 — — 1 5 — — 3 1 1 — — 1962 1 — — — — — — — — 1963 1 — — — — — — — — 1 7 — — 2 — 5 — — 1964 1 — — — — — — — — Totals 10 42 2 1 20 1 12 1 5 *This table covers all previous convictions, whether incurred in England or in Scotland. In relation to convictions in Scotland "Breaking and Entering" denotes "Housebreaking" and "Larceny" denotes "Theft".
SUMMARY A. ENGLAND AND WALES: Number of persons with no previous convictions … … … … … 14 Number of persons with one previous conviction … … … … … 4 Number of persons with two previous convictions … … … … … 4 Number of persons with three previous convictions … … … … … 5 Number of persons with four previous convictions … … … … … 8 Number of persons with five previous convictions … … … … … 5 Number of persons with six previous convictions … … … … … 4 Number of persons with seven previous convictions … … … … … 2 Number of persons with eight previous convictions … … … … … 1 Number of persons with eleven previous convictions … … … … … 1 Number of persons with twelve previous convictions … … … … … 2 Number of persons with eighteen previous convictions … … … … … 1 Number of persons with twenty-one previous convictions … … … … … 1 Total number of persons … … … … … 52 B. SCOTLAND: Number of persons with no previous convictions … … … … … 4 Number of persons with one previous conviction … … … … … 2 Number of persons with five previous convictions … … … … … 1 Number of persons with seven previous convictions … … … … … 1 Number of persons with ten previous convictions … … … … … 1 Number of persons with eighteen previous convictions … … … … … 1 Total number of persons … … … … … 10