Vivian Frederick Teed (1934 - 6 May 1958) was the last person to be hanged in Wales. He was charged with the murder of 73-year-old William Williams on 15 November 1957. The case was controversial at the time due to Teed's claims of mental illness, and may have hastened the abolition of

capital punishment in the United Kingdom Capital punishment in the United Kingdom predates the formation of the UK, having been used within the British Isles from ancient times until the second half of the 20th century. The last executions in the United Kingdom were by hanging, and t ...

Background

Teed was one of nine children brought up in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Teed was evacuated to a country village. He had served in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

but was discharged for going absent without leave. At the time of his arrest, he was unemployed and had two prior convictions for violent offences. Teed was in a relationship with a woman named Beryl Doyle, who lived with him in

Limeslade Limeslade Bay is a small cove just to the west of Bracelet Bay in the south east corner of the Gower Peninsula, near Swansea in south Wales. It is a sheltered, mainly rocky beach with little sand. Bathing is possible. There is a car park in th ...

Murder of William Williams

On the night of November 15, 1957, Teed broke into the

Fforestfach Fforestfach is a suburban district of Swansea, Wales which developed during the Victorian era as part of the expansion of Swansea, and to service several collieries in the area. It lies within the Cockett ward, between the districts of Waunarl ...

post office, where he had previously done some construction work, with intent to rob it. He was wearing women's silk stockings over his hands to avoid leaving fingerprints. Teed was not expecting anyone to be in the building, but encountered 73-year-old postmaster William Williams, who asked him what he was doing there. Teed panicked and beat Williams 27 times with a hammer before leaving the scene empty-handed. The beating was so violent that the hammer used in the attack snapped. Williams died of the injuries inflicted during the robbery. Following his escape, Teed made his way to a nearby bar called the Cwmbwrla Inn. While there, he confessed to a man named Ronald Williams (no relation to the victim) that "I’ve done that Fforestfach job. I hit the man. I couldn’t find the safe keys and he was coming to, so I left him and didn’t take anything." Teed was known as a compulsive liar and Williams did not believe his story.

Investigation

Williams' body was discovered the next morning by post office employee Margaret John. Police discovered Teed's footprints at the scene, along with one of the stockings he had used to conceal his fingerprints. The hammer used to kill Mr. Williams was traced back to a toolbox belonging to Teed's father. Teed was arrested three days after the murder. Police found Williams' blood on his clothes and shoes, and he soon confessed.

Trial and execution

Teed was committed for trial on November 19, 1957. His trial took place in March 1958. The witnesses included several scientists who testified as to the forensic evidence against Teed, and a prison officer who stated that Teed had confessed to him while on remand. Teed's lawyers argued that he was "suffering from abnormality of the mind which impaired substantially his mental responsibility". The jury's deliberations were long and arduous; twice they failed to reach a verdict, but on the third occasion Teed was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, Teed was deemed sane by Home Office psychiatrists sent to assess his condition. An appeal was rejected a month after the conviction and Home Secretary

Rab Butler Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, (9 December 1902 – 8 March 1982), also known as R. A. Butler and familiarly known from his initials as Rab, was a prominent British Conservative Party politician. ''The Times'' obituary c ...

rejected petitions for mercy. Teed was executed by hanging on May 6, 1958.

References

{{reflist 1934 births 1958 deaths 20th-century executions by England and Wales People from Swansea 1957 in Wales 1958 in Wales 20th-century executions of British people People convicted of murder by England and Wales Welsh people convicted of murder Executed Welsh people History of Swansea People executed for murder