A client of prostitute Phyllis Spiers, 22, suddenly found himself inexorably mixed up with her murder when her body was found in a Folkestone wood on Thursday, MAY 26th, 1938. He was a labourer who admitted going into the wood with Mrs. Spiers, and agreed that the green scarf with which she was strangled was his. He agreed too that a purse found on him belonged to Mrs. Spiers.
I went into the wood with her to try to persuade her from seeing my new girlfriend, the man told the Old Bailey jury. And I gave her my scarf on May 20th.
According to the prosecution, Mrs. Spiers was killed on May 23rd. But witnesses told the court of seeing her after that date. The judge said if any of the witnesses honestly believed they saw the victim after May 23rd, the suspect must be acquitted. He was found not guilty.