Drewitt (left) and Shorter (right) | |
| Date | 11 December 1876 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 22:30 (GMT) |
| Location | Eddington, Berkshire, UK |
| Coordinates | 51°25′32″N 01°30′04″W / 51.42556°N 1.50111°W |
| Target |
|
| Participants |
|
| Trial | February 1877 |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Convictions | Murder |
| Sentence | Execution by hanging |
On 11 December 1876, Inspector Joseph Drewitt and PC Thomas Shorter were murdered near Hungerford in Berkshire, United Kingdom. The officers were in the area on unrelated business and happened upon brothers Henry and Francis Tidbury, who had been game poaching. The brothers beat and shot the officers to death.
Henry and Francis were arrested the following morning. They were tried at Reading in February 1877, and were found guilty of both murders. They were hanged at Reading Jail on 12 March 1877.