#306 - The Double Murder of Annie Curtin (Annie & William Curtin, Soho, W1)

·1 hr 9 min·5 clips

Annie Curtin heard breathing under her bed, then saw her husband emerge with a razor, saying 'I'm going to finish you properly.'

The episode begins with host Michael setting the scene at 11 Old Compton Street in Soho, where Annie Curtin lived. He describes the building's current uses before introducing Annie's tragic story. Annie was a 27-year-old separated mother of two who worked night shifts. On May 10, 1931, she returned home to find her husband William hiding under her bed; he attacked her with a razor, slashing her face, but she survived. The host then provides historical context, explaining that in the 1850s, British women had few rights, and laws like the 1853 Aggravated Assaults Act offered limited protection, often resulting in minimal penalties for abusers. Annie's early life is detailed: born Alice Annie Hayley in 1903 to a lower-middle-class family in Fitzrovia, she worked as a stenographer. She married William Curtin at age 17, likely due to pregnancy, and he soon began assaulting her. Court records show multiple attacks, such as in 1922 when William was bound over for assault after accusing Annie of speaking to another man. In 1926, he beat her so severely she was hospitalized, but at trial, he was found guilty only of wounding and served two months. Annie eventually separated and moved to Old Compton Street, but William stalked her. The 1931 attack is recounted in detail, including how neighbors intervened and William was arrested after jumping from a window. At trial, he was again found guilty only of wounding and sentenced to 20 months. Later, in 1933, he threatened Annie again but died of a heart attack in Pentonville Prison in 1934. The episode concludes by noting how domestic violence laws have slowly improved, with milestones like the 1997 introduction of non-molestation orders and the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act. The host reflects on the case's relevance and answers quiz questions about details like Annie's middle name and when UK women could open bank accounts (1975).

As heard by us

A sober, interview-led true crime episode centered on Jacqueline Ross and the grief left behind.

UK True Crime reaches its 500th episode with a steady, interview-led account built around Jacqueline Ross's husband. It stays close to the loss itself, the attack by a convicted offender three days after release, and the family left to live with what happened.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want a powerful UK True Crime interview about Jacqueline Ross and the family still coping with her killing.

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