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The trial started at The High Court of Justiciary Saltmarket, Glasgow, on 12 May 1958 in the presence of The Right Honorable Lord Cameron. The Jury consisted of 9 men and 6 women whom upon 28 May 1958, took 2 hours 21 minutes to find Manuel guilty of murder on all counts except charge one, the murder of Ann Kneilands. The jury were directed to find him Not Guilty to this and charge 5 Rev. Houston's break-in as there was insufficient evidence to convict.
On the morning of Friday 11 July 1958 about 1 minute past eight Manuel was hanged.
The following is a genuine excerpt from his indictment some of which you may find disturbing:-
PETER THOMAS ANTHONY MANUEL, prisoner in the prison of Barlinnie, Glasgow, you are Indicted at the instance of The Right Honourable WILLIAM RANKINE MILLIGAN, Her Majesty's Advocate, and the charges against you are that you did:
(1) on 2nd January 1956, in Capelrig Plantation, East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, near the fifth teeing ground of the East Kilbride Golf Course, assault Ann Kneilands, aged 17 years, daughter of and residing with John Patrick Kneilands, at The Stables, Calderwood Estate, East Kilbride, and did strike her repeatedly on the head with a piece of iron or other similar instrument, take off her knickers, rob her of a watch, a pair of ear-rings, a French coin, a belt and a handbag, the contents of which is to the Prosecutor unknown, and you did murder her, and such is capital murder within the meaning of the Homicide Act, 1957, Section 5 (1) (a) as applied by Section 16 of said Act.
(2) between 12th and 15th of September 1956, both dates inclusive, break into the house then occupied by Henry James Platt at 14, Douglas Drive, Bothwell, Lanarkshire, and there (a) steal an electric razor, a chronograph, a micro-meter, a slide gauge, two calipers, a punch, two cutters, a box of drills, a wrench, a scribing block, a set of blocks, two lenses, a ring, a watch chain, a broken signet ring, a pair of cuff links, a watch and £2 0s 61/2d. of money and (b) maliciously discharge a loaded firearm and damage a mattress.
(3) between 15th and 17th of September 1956, both dates inclusive, break into the house then occupied by Mary Ann Hargrave Martin and Margaret Martin at 18, Fennsbank Avenue, High Burnside, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, and there steal two finger rings, four pairs of nylon stockings and 6s. of money.
(4) on 17th September 1956, break into the house then occupied by William Watt at 5, Fennsbank Avenue, High Burnside, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, and there (a) assault Marion Hunter McDonald Reid or Watt, residing there, and did discharge at her a loaded firearm and shoot her in the head, and you did murder her. and (b) assault Margaret Hunter Reid or Brown, 461, King Street, Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire, and did discharge at her a loaded firearm and shoot her in the head, and you did murder her. and (c) assault Vivienne Isabella Reid Watt, aged 16 years, residing there, and did strike her with your fist, struggle with her, discharge at her a loaded firearm and shoot her in the head, and you did murder her, and such are capital murders within the meaning of the Homicide Act, 1957, Section 5 (1) (b) as applied by Section 16 of said Act.
(5) on 25th December 1957, break into the house occupied by the Reverend Alexander McCrae Houston at 66, Wester Road, North Mount Vernon, Lanarkshire, and there steal a camera, a pair of gloves, a sock and £2 of money.
(6) on 28th December 1957, on the footpath between Mount Vernon Avenue and Kenmore Avenue, Mount Vernon, Lanarkshire, assault Isabelle Wallace Cook, aged 17 years, daughter of and residing with William Clifford Cook at 5, Carrick Drive, Mount Vernon, and did seize her, struggle with her, drag her into a field, tear off her clothing, tie a brassiere round her neck and a head square round her face and mouth, rob her of a pair of shoes, a brush, a fan, a stole, a pouchette of cosmetics and a handbag the contents of which are to the Prosecutor unknown, and you did murder her, and such is capital murder within the meaning of the Homicide Act, 1957, Section 5 (1) (a) as applied by Section 16 of said Act.
(7) on 1st January 1958, break into the house occupied by Peter James Smart at 38, Sheepburn Road, Uddingston, Parish of Bothwell, Lanarkshire, and there (a) assault said Peter James Smart, and did discharge at him a loaded firearm and shoot him in the head, rob him of a number of keys, and £30 of money, and you did murder him. and (b) assault Doris Hall or Smart, residing there, and did discharge at her a loaded firearm and shoot her in the head, rob her of a pair of gloves, a purse and 18s. of money, and you did murder her. and (c) assault Michael Smart aged 10 years, residing there, discharge at him a loaded firearm and shoot him in the head, and you did murder him, and such are capital murders within the meaning of the Homicide Act, 1957, Section 5 (1) (b) as applied by Section 16 of said Act. and
(8) on 1st January 1958, in the garage at said house at 38, Sheepburn Road, Uddingston, aforesaid, steal a motor car.
M.G. Gillies, Advocate Depute.