Anthony Joseph Miller (1941–22 December 1960) became the second-last criminal to be executed in Scotland when he was

hanged Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging in ...

on the gallows at

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Barlinnie Prison HM Prison Barlinnie is the largest prison in Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Prison Service and is located in the residential suburb of Riddrie, in the north east of Glasgow, Scotland. It is informally known locally as The Big Hoose, ...

on 22 December 1960. Miller had been convicted of murdering John Cremin at Queen's Park Recreation Ground (near

Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...

) in Glasgow on 6 April 1960. At 19 years of age, Miller was the last teenager to be executed in the United Kingdom. At the time of his arrest, he was an apprentice cabinet-maker who lived with his family in Dixon Road in

Crosshill Cross Hill or Crosshill may refer to: Places * Cross Hill, Cornwall, England *Cross Hill, Derbyshire, England * Cross Hill, Gloucestershire, England * Cross Hill, South Carolina, USA * Crosshill, East Ayrshire, Scotland *Crosshill, Fife, Scotland * ...

, in the South Side of Glasgow. Miller's accomplice James Denovan and his family lived in Calder Street in nearby

Govanhill Govanhill ( gd, Cnoc a' Ghobhainn) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, situated south of the River Clyde between Pollokshields, the Gorbals, Strathbungo, Crosshill, Polmadie and Queen's Park. Historically part of Renfrewshire, Govanhill had the st ...

The murder

The murder of John Cremin was a robbery that went wrong. Miller and Denovan were in the habit of working together as a team, robbing

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

men who would not report the crimes as homosexuality was illegal at the time. They would use Denovan (a 16-year-old boy) as bait to attract victims. After Denovan had lured the victims to a secluded area of the park out of public view, Miller would suddenly appear, threatening the victims with violence unless they handed over all their valuables. During this particular robbery Cremin was beaten to death and his body hidden under bushes, where it was later discovered by a man out walking his dog. Denovan was arrested on 11 August 1960 while committing an act of indecency with another man on the Recreation Ground. A newspaper cutting relating to the death of John Cremin was found on his person; Denovan would finally confess his guilt and lead the police to Miller.

The trial

Miller and Denovan's trial began in Glasgow High Court on 14 November 1960. They were charged with the capital murder of John Cremin as well as three other charges of assault and robbery. Miller also faced another charge of assault and robbery committed with two other accomplices, while Denovan was also charged with committing an act of indecency. At the end of a three-day trial, Miller was found guilty of capital murder, while Denovan was found guilty of non-capital murder. Both verdicts were unanimous. As a 19-year-old Miller was legally an adult, and because the murder had taken place during the course of a robbery (Cremin had been robbed of his watch, bankbook and £67), this made him eligible for the death penalty under the terms of the

Homicide Act 1957 The Homicide Act 1957 (5 & 6 Eliz.2 c.11) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was enacted as a partial reform of the common law offence of murder in English law by abolishing the doctrine of constructive malice (except in limi ...

. Accordingly, he was sentenced to death by Lord Wheatley, the trial judge. However, as a 16-year-old, Denovan was considered a child in the judicial system and therefore too young to face the death penalty. Consequently, he was sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

Execution

The appeals of both Miller and Denovan were dismissed by the

Scottish Court of Criminal Appeal The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court in Scotland. The High Court is both a trial court and a court of appeal. As a trial court, the High Court sits on circuit at Parliament House or in the adjacent former Sheriff Cou ...

in Edinburgh on 7 December 1960 (the date which had originally been set for Miller's execution). A new execution date of 22 December was decided. Miller's family organised a petition to the Secretary of State for Scotland,

John Maclay John Scott Maclay, 1st Viscount Muirshiel, (26 October 1905 – 17 August 1992) was a British politician, sitting as a National Liberal and Conservative Member of Parliament before the party was fully assimilated into the Unionist Party in Sco ...

, asking him to recommend a reprieve, with a stall in Glasgow city centre. The petition received 30,000 signatures, but it was turned down. Miller was hanged at 8.02 a.m. on 22 December by official executioner Harry Allen, assisted by

Robert Leslie Stewart Robert Leslie Stewart (April 1918 – 30 April 1988), from Edinburgh, Scotland, was one of the last executioners in the United Kingdom, officiating between 1950 and 1964. Brought up in Dundee Street in Edinburgh, 3 miles from Saughton Prison, S ...

. It was the last execution to take place at HMP Barlinnie. A theatre play about Miller's last days in the condemned cell, ''Please, Mister'' (the title comes from Miller's alleged last words on the scaffold), was written by Patrick Harkins and first performed in 2010. The initial production starred

Iain De Caestecker Iain De Caestecker ( ; born 29 December 1987) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. He is also known for his roles in Coronation Street as Adam Barlow ...

(in the role of Miller) and

David Hayman David Hayman (born 9 February 1948) is a Scottish film, television and stage actor and director, known for his role as DCS Mike Walker in ITV drama ''Trial & Retribution'', as Jonas Franks in BBC period drama '' The Paradise'' and as Brace in ...

. The last ever judicial execution in Scotland was that of

Henry John Burnett Henry John Burnett (5 January 1942 – 15 August 1963) was the last man to be hanged in Scotland, and the first in Aberdeen since 1891. He was tried at the high court in Aberdeen from 23 to 25 July 1963 for the murder of merchant seaman Thomas G ...

, which took place in Aberdeen on 15 August 1963.

References

Skelton, Douglas ''Glasgow's Black Heart: A City's Life of Crime'' MacKay, Donald "Scotlands Hanged 1946 to 1963" (2016)

External links

Daily Record article from December 2010.

Glasgow Herald article from June 1995.

Daily Record article which mentions the case briefly.

'Hanging With Frank' (video showing UK execution protocol at the old gallows in Barlinnie Prison)

BBC Alba documentary clip
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Anthony 1941 births 1960 deaths 1960 in Scotland People executed by Scotland by hanging 20th-century executions by Scotland Executed Scottish people Place of birth missing Scottish people convicted of murder People convicted of murder by Scotland 20th-century Scottish criminals 1960 murders in the United Kingdom People executed for murder People from Govanhill and Crosshill