SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

The scene of the crime - the right hand half of 'Xibit' is the former Post Office.

Thanks Drapesy!I think it's quite nice-looking flats above there isn't it, but the buildings to the left of it (where the taxi firm and the newsagents are) look like they've not been touched for decades - I wonder if they're haunted a la the Old Red Lion?Tragic that someone was killed for less than £100. It would be nice if someone could be brought to book for it but I guess the shooter is probably dead himself after all these years. These kinds of crimes are still shocking now, I can only guess what a shock it would have been back then.

I have been trying to research this matter on the interweb but to no avail yet.I seem to remember that there was a most unusual turn of events when the case was eventually heard at the Leeds Coroner's Court. The police had a suspect and some convincing evidence but insufficient to charge anybody. The coroner was privy to the police evidence and in those days Coroner's had far greater powers than they have now. The coroner's court returned a verdict of unlawful killing by a named person and that person was committed direct to Leeds Assizes for trial on charge of murder. The case then collapsed at Assizes for lack of evidence and remains undetected.This case was one of a number of coroner's committals that resulted, in the fullness of time, with the removal of coroner's powers of committal.I believe I have the case correctly remembered, I believe some of the evidence included a police dog and recognition of scent.Anybody else hear any bells ringing or am I on the wrong case?

John Beckett in yorkshireonthenet.com recalls this tragic incidentalthough I think time is playing tricks with his memory,he thinks the post office was across the road from Dysons in Lower Briggate.He also states that someone confessed to this murder prior to snuffing it in prison.There is mention on a West Yorkshire police thread in the countyarchives where press cuttings are stored but there is not a lot of info out there.Re prevous post mentioning trams and late running into 1966,I thought this had happened late fifties/early sixties

The post office was opposite on Leeds bridge opposite the back entrance to LCT main offices. The lady who was killed was the wife of a LCT Inspector.

amber wrote: The post office was opposite on Leeds bridge opposite the back entrance to LCT main offices. The lady who was killed was the wife of a LCT Inspector. Gosh Amber - I never knew that and, although I didn't join LCT until 1969, I imagine the inspector would still be there ?? Is it too sensitive to say who he was, or to just put initials on here please ??    

The lady who was killed was named as Winifred Sharp aged 50yrs at the time. Apparently she lived in Cross Heath Grove, hence the confusion on location.

BLAKEY wrote: amber wrote: The post office was opposite on Leeds bridge opposite the back entrance to LCT main offices. The lady who was killed was the wife of a LCT Inspector. Gosh Amber - I never knew that and, although I didn't join LCT until 1969, I imagine the inspector would still be there ?? Is it too sensitive to say who he was, or to just put initials on here please ??     Winifreds husband was Bob who was bookman at Hdy at the time and moved to the back office shortly after the tragic event. I am sure you knew him well.

From a website called True Crime Library;June 9th 19669/6/1966Winifred Sharp – LeedsA man walked into a Bridgend, Leeds, post office on the afternoon of Thursday, June 9th, 1966, and fired three shots. The first one proved fatal for Mrs. Winifred Sharp, 50, a counter assistant, of Cross Heath Grove, Leeds; the second seriously wounded the postmaster and the third went wide.The man then vaulted the counter, snatched about £160 in notes and ran out. There were no other customers in the post office at the time.The gunman was described by witnesses in the street as of medium height, aged about 30, thin-faced, dark hair falling over his forehead, and wearing a brown suede jacket or shirt with black jeans and sunglasses.The president of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters railed about the “hundreds of post-mistresses who lived day and night in a continual state of fear.” An account of the murder said the president’s indignation “was directed at a legal system that seemed to concentrate on reforming the guilty rather than protecting the innocent.”Interestingly, that was written nearly half a century ago – when it was first noted that governments were concentrating on criminals’ “rights” at the expense of their victims.What a weird way to rob a post office, surely the idea is NOT to shoot people? Poor Mrs Sharp and postmaster, talk about wrong place at the wrong time.

[quotenick="amber"] BLAKEY wrote: amber wrote: The post office was opposite on Leeds bridge opposite the back entrance to LCT main offices. The lady who was killed was the wife of a LCT Inspector. Winifreds husband was Bob who was bookman at Hdy at the time and moved to the back office shortly after the tragic event. I am sure you knew him well. Thank you Amber and, yes, I did know him well although he had left Headingley for the "back office" before I joined as a driver. I certainly never knew of this tragedy though.