Mary Bell
English killer (born 1957) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Mary Bell?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Mary Flora Bell (born 26 May 1957)[3] is an English woman who, as a juvenile, killed two preschool-age boys in Scotswood, an inner suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1968.[4] Bell committed her first killing when she was ten years old. In both instances, Bell informed her victim that he had a sore throat, which she would massage before proceeding to strangle him.[5]
Mary Bell | |
---|---|
Born | (1957-05-26) 26 May 1957 (age 67) |
Status | Released (1980) |
Other names | The Tyneside Strangler |
Children | 1 |
Motive | Sadism Rage[2] |
Conviction(s) | Manslaughter (x2) |
Criminal penalty | Detained at Her Majesty's pleasure |
Details | |
Victims | 2 |
Span of crimes | 25 May ā 31 July 1968 |
Location(s) | Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
Date apprehended | 7 August 1968; 55 years ago (1968-08-07) |
Bell was convicted of manslaughter in relation to both killings in December 1968, in a trial held at Newcastle Assizes when she was 11 years old, and in which her actions were judged to have been committed under diminished responsibility.[6] She is Britain's youngest female killer[7][8] and was diagnosed with a psychopathic personality disorder prior to her trial.[9][10] Her alleged accomplice in at least one of the killings, 13-year-old Norma Joyce Bell (no relation), was acquitted of all charges.[4]
Bell was released from custody in 1980, at the age of 23. A lifelong court order granted her anonymity, which has since been extended to protect the identity of her daughter and granddaughter. She has since lived under a series of pseudonyms.[11]