THE TERRIBLE EXECUTION OF ERNEST CHARLES HARDING FOR THE BRUTAL MURDER OF A SMALL CHILD

 Ernest Charles Harding - the last to hang for murdering a child.

On June the 11th 1955, 42 year old Harding was discovered in Coventry trying to commit suicide using the exhaust fumes from his car.  

The car was of great interest to the police as one fitting its description had been reported in connection with the disappearance of 10 year old Evelyn Patricia Higgins around 5.30 p.m. on the 8th of June. 

 Evelyn lived at 26 Lowther Street in Coventry and had left Frederick Bird School and walked to a nearby hairdresser’s shop where she stayed until a little after five o’clock. Two 14 year old girls told the police that a man, who fitted Harding’s description, had tried to persuade them to get into his car around 5.20 p.m.

A few minutes later, a cyclist saw Evelyn getting into a black 1937 Standard 9 saloon, with a Union Jack on the bonnet and a hand painted number plate on the offside rear.  This tallied with the description of the car that the girls had given police.

Once Harding recovered, he was taken in for questioning about Evelyn’s murder.  She had been stabbed, suffocated and raped at Shawbury Wood in Fillongley, near Coventry in Warwickshire.  Initially Harding told the police that he had been at a cinema at the time of the crime. 

 The car was microscopically examined for traces of Evelyn and when confronted with the findings, Harding admitted that Evelyn had been in his car but that he had no memory of anything happening, other that seeing her body.

 He picked the body up and drove to a wooded area near Coleshill where he buried her in a shallow grave.  He led police there on the 12th of June.  In a further story Harding admitted trying to have sex with Evelyn and putting his hand over her mouth and nose.

Harding was tried at Birmingham on the 21st of July 1955 before Mr. Justice Lynskey.  He attempted a defence of insanity. 

 His wife, Martha, testified that since an accident three years earlier he had been prone to blackouts and would have no memory of what he had done.  She also said that he appeared perfectly normal when he returned home at 7.30 p.m. on the day of the killing.  

Defence psychiatrist, Dr. Arthur Hale claimed that Harding knew what he was doing during the sexual assault but may not have known what he was doing when he stabbed Evelyn in the throat. 

 This was rebutted Winson Green prison’s medical officer, Dr. Percy Coates and the jury shared his view that Harding was legally sane.  Harding did not appeal.

So, for the second time in a week Winson Green had a hanging, Corbett Montague Roberts having been executed there on the 2nd of August.  

Harding was executed at 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday the 9th of August by Steve Wade, assisted by Robert Leslie Stewart.  He weighed 175 lbs. and was given a drop of 6’ 6”.

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