History of Sunderland: A 1930s Murder and Execution Story, the man who killed his aunt over rent money

The year was 1936. 24 year old Christopher Jackson, originally from Rotherham, had moved to the North East after completing his army service, looking for labour related work. He had relatives in Sunderland, with his uncle and Auntie living in Hetton Street next to Silksworth Row (Which no longer exists and is not to be confused with the one in Hetton-le-Hole).

However, hard times had fallen on Chris. He was behind on his own personal rent, having been lodging in Chester-Le-Street, and decided to pay his Aunt, called May Linney, in Sunderland a visit that June. However, the trip would end tragically. On turning up to her home, her husband was on a trip away to Carlisle, and she was less than pleased to see him.

Taken back at his request for money, Chris had testified to the court that she had started to call him names and told him to get out. The result was that May ended up dead, having being smashed over the head with a stove poker and a glass bottle. He then left the scene, taking her money with him seemingly content enough.

After she was discovered, the evidence pointed overwhelmingly to Christopher and he was soon arrested. The evidence against him was also too strong to deny that he had been to the house, including witnesses seeing him travelling to Sunderland, as well as entering her home, and of course police having later obtained his blood stained coat. This meant that Christopher’s defense had to argue to the court that this wasn’t a clear cut murder, but an accident with the view to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Chris attempted to plea that she was the one who started to attack him, claiming that she used a stove poker as a weapon against him and ultimately caused him to “lose his temper” and retaliate with the bottle, he then claimed that he did not know she was dying. Of course, this defense was toothless as he happily left with the money. Thus, he was found guilty of her murder, and taken into consideration that he had a history of other criminal offenses, including burglary, the Judge ultimately sentenced him to death. This was his comment:

“You have been found guilty of a shocking murder as it has been my lot to try. I can hold no hope to you that the sentence I am about to pass will not be carried out.”

The Sunderland Echo of the day Christopher was sentenced to death

Christopher Jackson was executed by hanging at Durham Prison on 8am, December 16th, 1936.