Mary Bell

For other people named Mary Bell, see Mary Bell (disambiguation).

Mary Bell
Bell c. 1967
Born (1957-05-26) 26 May 1957 (age 67)
Corbridge,[2] Northumberland, England
StatusReleased (1980)
Other namesThe Tyneside Strangler
Children1
MotiveSadism
Rage[1]
Conviction(s)Manslaughter (x2)
Criminal penaltyDetained at Her Majesty's pleasure
Details
Victims2
Span of crimes
25 May  –  31 July 1968
Location(s)Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Date apprehended
7 August 1968; 56 years ago (1968-08-07)

Mary Flora Bell (born 26 May 1957)[3] is an English woman who, as a juvenile, killed two preschool-age boys in Scotswood, an inner suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1968.[4] Bell committed her first killing when she was ten years old. In both instances, Bell informed her victim that he had a sore throat, which she would massage before proceeding to strangle him.[5][6]

Bell was convicted of manslaughter in relation to both killings in December 1968, in a trial held at Newcastle Assizes when she was 11 years old, and in which her actions were judged to have been committed under diminished responsibility.[7] She is Britain's youngest female killer[8][9] and was diagnosed with a psychopathic personality disorder prior to her trial.[10][11] Her alleged accomplice in at least one of the killings, 13-year-old Norma Joyce Bell (no relation), was acquitted of all charges.[4]

Bell was released from custody in 1980, at the age of 23. A lifelong court order granted her anonymity, which has since been extended to protect the identity of her daughter and granddaughter. She has since lived under a series of pseudonyms.[12]

  1. ^ Berry-Dee 2018, p. 249.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Birth was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Sereny 1972, p. 246.
  4. ^ a b "17 December: 1968: Mary Bell Found Guilty of Double Killing". BBC News. 17 December 1968. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  5. ^ "The Mary Bell Affair: The Mob Will Move On; The Pain Never Can". The Guardian. 3 May 1998. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Mary Bell: A Tough Start in Life". crimeandinvestigation.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  7. ^ "National Archives' Catalogue: Bell, Mary and Bell, Norma: Murder of Brian Howe (3) on 31 July 1968". 15 December 1998. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Britain's Youngest Female Double Murderer Jailed". Irish Examiner. 7 September 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  9. ^ "'Youngest' Female Double Murderer Jailed". BBC News. 7 September 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  10. ^ Doughty, Sophie (25 May 2018). "Mary Bell Killings 50 Years On: Victim's Sister Tells How Bell Stole Her Childhood". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  11. ^ Real-Life Crimes 1993, p. 786.
  12. ^ "Child Killer Mary Bell to Seek Permanent Order Hiding Identity". The Guardian. 9 September 2002. Retrieved 12 July 2021.