Murder of Gilbert Caleb Amos

On December 12, 1924, around 10 pm 21-year-old William Bressington would go to the home of the Amos family in Bristol, England. He was known to the family. The three Amos boys were home, 12-year-old William, 8-year-old Gilbert, and 2-year-old Walter. William B. would tell the oldest boy that their aunt Lizzie was looking for him. William A. told him that he could not go because he was in charge of babysitting the baby. Their mother was Christmas shopping at the time. 

Gilbert went instead volunteered to go instead. He stated that he would go with Gilbert and find out what their Aunt wanted and bring him back to convey the message. However, this was not what happened. The Aunt did not send William B. to get any of the boys.

William B. instead of bringing Gilbert to their aunts he brought him to Cousin's Field in Staple Mill. He did the unimaginable to the boy. He would sexually assault the young boy and then strangle him to death with a necktie. It was possible the sexual assault also happened while he was dead.

William would leave Gilbert's body and loiter near Derham's boot factory where his father Charles came across him. William told his father "I have done it, Daddy. I can't tell you, but I'll take you to the place and how you." William would bring his father to the crime scene. Charles seeing the young boy's body began to beat his son. A bystander had to intervene to get him to stop beating him. 

William would be arrested and confessed to his crimes again. On February 16, 1925, he would appear at the Bristol Assizes before Justice Roche. He confessed to the murder, but not the sexual assault. He claimed that a man named "James" had asked him to fetch the boy. That "James" had done that.


He would plead insanity. In 1924, William Bressington was discharged from the army for being "feeble-minded. He was trying to use his fondness for women's clothes and makeup for his defense. He also used his family's mental illness. His grandfather died in an asylum and a cousin and uncle were in one at the time. A Dr Robert Phillips testified that William did fit the legal definition of insanity. 

This however did not work and the Jurors found him guilty of murder. He was set to be executed. On March 31, 1925, William was hanged at the gallows in Bristol Prison by Thomas Pierrepoint.

SOURCES:

British Executions

Evening Express December 13, 1925

Western Daily Press December 23, 1924

Western Daily Press February 17, 1925

Western Daily Press March 23, 1925

Bristol Post August 28, 2022