Danville Neil (Jail 29 years , 11 months , 21 days left)

Danville Neil was convicted of the murder of Anne Castle 74 and her brother William Bryan 71.

He killed them during a burglary at their flat in Priam House, Clare Street, Bethnal Green in August 1993. He was caught during a cold case review when the straps that he had used to tie them up were found to have his DNA on them. His DNA was on the database due to previous convictions he had.

Anne Castle and William Bryan had been robbed and left bound hand and foot, sitting beside each other in chairs.

They were brother and sister and were said to have been well liked in the local community. They were said to have lived in Bethnal Green for the previous 47 years.

William Bryan died after being suffocated, possibly by having a hand placed over his mouth and complicated by his ischaemic heart disease.

However, it was thought that Ann Castle had died from a heart attack through fear, brought on by the same disease that their brother had, ischaemic heart disease. It was said that she had probably watched William Bryan being assaulted and had had the rings on her fingers, that she had not taken off in 50 years, wrenched from her.

They were found dead by a neighbour who became suspicious when they didn't answer their door and she found that the lights were on inside and that a door was open.

Ann Castle was last seen at about 8.40pm on Sunday 22 August 1993 after returning from a senior citizens club.

A man was seen about two hours later, around 10.40pm, sitting on the wall outside Priam House, and the police said that they were keen to speak to him as he might have vital information. He was described as black, in his mid-20s, about 5ft 9in tall, slim with short hair and wearing a dark jacket and white trainers.

When their flat was examined by the police, it was found that a large amount of jewellery had been taken.

Danville Neil was described as having been a prolific burglar. He had been convicted of about fifteen burglaries between 1973 and 1998. He had also carried out two home invasions in 1984 during which he had physically assaulted the occupants.

At the trial he accepted that the DNA on the straps was his but said that he had never been to their flat and didn't kill them, stating that the strap had come from a pair of binoculours that he had sold William Bryan at a car boot sale and that it must have been someone else that killed them and used the strap to tie them up.