Burkitt was a fisherman who lived in Kingston-upon-Hull, in the north east of England. In 1915 he appeared before a court in York charged with murder after the discovery of the body of his mistress, Mrs Tyler, with several severe throat wounds. The jury found Burkitt guilty of the charge of manslaughter and he was sentenced to twelve years’ imprisonment.
Burkitt was released from prison after nine years and set up house with Ellen Spencer. Within a year Burkitt was back at the courts in York charged with her murder. Again the jury only found him guilty of manslaughter and this time he was given ten years.
In August 1935 Burkitt was released again, this time he set up home with Mrs Emma Brookes.His new partner survived with him for almost four years. On the morning of 1st March 1939 he arrived unexpectedly at his sister’s house. He stood there foaming at the mouth and he told his sister that he had taken six hundred aspirins. The tablets did not seem to have been having the desired effect so Burkitt left his sister’s and jumped into the River Humber. He was fished out and taken to hospital.
The police were informed of Burkitt’s actions and they went to check out his home. There they found the body of Mrs Brookes.
This time the venue was a court in Leeds, in May 1939. It must have been almost incomprehensible to the judge, who knew of Burkitt’s history, when the jury returned a guilty to manslaughter verdict for the third time. This time though Burkitt was not so lucky in his sentence as he was given penal servitude for life.
he was released in 1954 as an act of mercy, and was admitted to hull hospital he disappeared in 1955 but was caught not long after. He died a year later in 1956.
