John George Robinson (Dead)

John George Robinson was convicted of the murder of Clive Jones 9 in 1962.

In 1977 he was convicted of killing Mary Batty, a new friend that he had made within two months of being released from prison.

Clive Jones

He cut Clive Jones throat in 1962 near Dockfield Industrial Estate, Shipley. Clive Jones was a Wolf Cub.

He said 'I do not know what made me do it. I love kids'. He later told another prisoner 'I had been drinking and if he had not struggled, I would not have done him in.

A council worker said that he had been drinking in the Blue Bell Hotel on 23 July 1962, a Monday, at lunchtime about 12.45pm when John Robinson came in. He said that he was wearing some rough clobber including a very dirty old twead top coat. He said that he played dominoes with him until about 3pm and then went out. He said that he later went back to the Blue Bell Hotel just after 9pm where he met John Robinson again. He said that this time he had a dirty windcheater on and wasn't wearing a top coat. He said that he played dominoes with him again but left before him at about 10.40pm.

A newsagent said that John Robinson came into his shop at 78 Leeds Road in Shipley at about 4pm and asked for a Scout knife, however, the newsagent said that he couldn't remember where they were so he showed him a green pen knife which he then sold him for 2/6d. He said that John Robinson was wearing a herring bone style overcoat at the time.

The newsagents son who was also a shop assistant said that he saw John Robinson when he came in but didn't remember what he was wearing but said that he saw him later in the Blue Bell Hotel at about 8.45pm.

Later on at 5.25pm a paviour for the Shipley Urban District Council said that he had left work with three of his workmates and walked from the River Aire up towards the Leeds Liverpool Canal under the viaduct and up the back road on the Shipley side when he saw John Robinson with two boys coming from the canal to the river. He said that the boys were about 10 or 11 years old and that one of them was carrying a small glass jar.

Shortly after a labourer working on the Dockfield Industrial Site in Shipley said that at about 5pm he had cause to go to some bushes near to the Railway Viaduct. He said that he was there for some time as he lost some money from his pocket and that while he was searching for it he heard a child screaming at roughly 5.20pm. He said that he didn't take much notice of it as there were generally a lot of children playing down there. He said that shortly after he saw three men come from under the bridge who appeared to be working there and then saw one man going in the opposite direction. He said that he only gave the man a glance and hardly thought that he would recognise him again but did say that the man had been wearing a fawn sort of dirty raglan overcoat. He said that when he saw the man he was directly over him as he was almost on top of the viaduct and the man had been going under the bridge into the Shipley Industrial Estate.

Soon after at about 6pm a sales manager who knew Clive Jones's mother said that he spoke to her and a small boy and they went to look for Clive Jones. He said that he took them to Shipley and they went down near the area of the Dockfield Industrial Estate and soon after he found Clive Jones. He said that when he first saw him it was apparent that he was dead and could see the throat wound that he had suffered from.

The police were then called to the scene.

After killing Clive Jones, John Geoge Robinson went back into Shipley over Baildon Bridge and to the Blue Bell and that night he kipped down in an empty pre-fab in Gaisby Lane where he used to live. The next day he hitch hiked to  his sister's in Spennymoor and then the next night he stayed with his uncle at Ferryhill Station. After that he said that he hitch hiked to Ashbourne where he was arrested by the police.

When he was arrested he confessed to the police. He said that he didn't know what came over him. he said 'I don't know why I done him in, but something must have come over me. I don't know why I did it. I took him into the little bushes and said I was going to show him some rabbits. I just grabbed hold of him and that was it. I don't know what came over us. I pulled his buttons (trouser) open and he shouted so I got me knife out and nicked his throat. I only got the knife that day, but honest, I didn't buy it to murder anyone with, that's truth, I didn't mean to harm no one. I love kiddies. I've always wanted a son and me wife had one on the fourth of July. O love kiddies. I met them down by the canal at the back of Linley's in Windhill. We walked down towards the river and we talked about rabbits you know, and I told them I worked on a farm but I didn't. Honest I don't know why I did it. The blood spurted out on to me hands and I made off. I knew I'd cut his throat right across and I was scared so I made off under the railway bridge. I went on the side of the canal and washed me hands in the canal and dried 'em on me hankie. I threw me hankie in t'canal. I then thought that the other lad might recognize me in me overcoat so I took it off and threw it in to t'canal. I threw me knife away as well. I'll show you where, it was a green coloured one. I bought it from that paper shop just above the bookies.'.

Mary Batty

Shortly after being released from prison he strangled Mary Batty on 2 October 1976 in Huddersfield.

Her murder was witnessed by her 4-year-old son who was left with her dead body after. He told the police what had happened and the police were able to trace John George Robinson

John George Robinson died in Parkhurst Prison on 31 March 1980 of natural causes.