Thomas Jeffrey | |
|---|---|
 Thomas Jeffrey, sketched by Thomas Bock in April 1826. | |
| Born | c. 1791 |
| Died | 4 May 1826 |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | (murders committed by Jeffrey, Russell and Perry) "Sutherland's man"; Isaac Beechy; John Tibbs (infant); Constable Magnus Bakie; Edward Russell |
| Country | Australia |
| State(s) | Tasmania |
Date apprehended | 22 January 1826 |
Thomas Jeffrey (surname also recorded as Jeffery, Jeffries, Jeffreys or Jefferies) was a convict bushranger, murderer, and cannibal in the mid-1820s in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia). In contemporary newspaper reports of his crimes, he was frequently described as a 'monster'. Jeffrey and three other convicts absconded from custody in Launceston in December 1825 and were subsequently responsible for five murders characterised by extreme violence, including the killing of a five-month-old infant. Another victim was a member of the gang, killed while he slept and his flesh consumed by his companions. Jeffrey was captured in January 1826; he was tried in Hobart and convicted of various of his crimes. Jeffrey was executed by hanging at Hobart in May 1826.