Lessons Learned?

The USA restored the death penalty after a four year break in 1976. In fact, there had been no executions since 1967 – the Supreme Court ruled the statutes unconstitutional in 1972 (Furman v Georgia). States amended their statutes and in 1976 the Supreme Court ruled Georgia’s new death penalty statute was constitutional (Gregg v Georgia).

Anyone on Death Row prior to the Furman decision had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. The first person executed since restoration was Gary Gilmore (Utah January 17th 1977).

Somewhat surprisingly, all of the first five executed since restoration were white – only one fought against his fate. The other four, including Gilmore, abandoned their appeals and demanded to be executed. One – the first in Virginia for twenty years – was a former police officer turned armed robber and murderer.

Cops and Robbers

Frank Coppola was the first person executed by Virginia since 1962 (Carroll Garland on March 2nd for murder). Among the careers Coppola had in his short life (38 when he died) was police officer in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was forced to leave in 1967 after making false statements about an assault on a prisoner committed by a colleague. He had also tried to become a priest – quitting after a year – and a sports scholarship that he did not complete. He joined the police in 1965.

In the 1970s he had a new career in crime, having been sentenced to four years for burglary in 1971. Seven years later, the former prisoner committed the crimes that cost him his life. He robbed and viciously beat Muriel Hatchell to death in her home.

Donna Mills and Joseph Miltier – also an accomplice in the 1971 crime – were involved in the robbery and Coppola’s wife, Karen, was an accessory. Hatchell’s husband, Peyton, arrived during the robbery and was viciously clubbed over the head. He was severely injured, but survived.

Cops Turned Robbers

Coppola was convicted of robbery and murder on September 26th 1978. He was sentenced to death. His accomplices received long terms in prison. Coppola chose to waive appeals and went to the electric chair on August 10th 1982, over 20 years since the last execution in that state. Coppola’s execution was botched, requiring two jolts of electricity.

He was not the only former police officer to turn to crime before committing a further crime that resulted in execution. During his career as a police officer, which began in March 1920, James Power disgraced the profession (http://fittedin.org/fittedin/?p=899). He was thrown out just shy of three years later. He made a living by impersonating a police officer and demanding money with menaces from courting couples. On July 2nd 1927 he raped and murdered Olive Turner, the offence that sent him to the gallows on January 31st 1928.

Infamous

Over 55 earlier an even worse example occurred in Northern Ireland. Sub-Inspector Thomas Montgomery, a seemingly respectable police officer, was anything but. The officer needed money, so he tried to rob the Northern Bank on June 29th 1871, as it was closing. He murdered cashier, William Glass, with a spike. Montgomery then took charge of the investigation into Glass’ murder.

Eventually witnesses placed him at the scene of the crime an hour earlier, and colleagues discovered his financial woes. They built a case against him which resulted in his conviction after two mistrials. Montgomery was the last person executed in Omagh jail – going to the gallows on August 26th 1873.

The Road to Oblivion

Nearly a quarter of a century after John Billington despatched the once aspiring executioner Samuel Dougal, who was not deterred by capital punishment from committing murder, Thomas Pierrepoint, who was persuaded to become a hangman by his brother Henry, put the noose around the neck of another who should have been deterred if it worked – a corrupt former police officer.

James Power was hanged in Winson Green Prison in Birmingham in January 1928. The jail overlooked the site of the crime that cost Power his life. While walking by a canal at around 9.45 on July 2^nd 1927 in Hockley, Charles Broomhead and 18-year-old Olive Turner were approached a man claiming to be a police officer.

He told them that he was arresting them for trespass, although other couples were left alone, but then he raised Broomheadʼs suspicions by demanding money to let them off. Broomhead told Turner to run off and tried to give her a head-start, but Power turned and thumped him before chasing the defenceless Turner, whose body was discovered in the canal the following day.

Broomhead came round to see Power abduct Turner. Fortunately for him others had too. Her watch had stopped at 11.41 indicating the time of the attack. Turner had been raped before being thrown unconscious into the canal. Broomhead was an initial suspect, but other witnesses supported his claims that another man had dragged Turner away.

The description fitted Power and he quickly emerged as a suspect to former colleague Detective Sergeant Albert Edwards. Police knew that he had still been masquerading as a police officer – he had previously been a policeman, but was dismissed for corruption. A street identification was arranged and Broomhead confirmed Edwardsʼ suspicions. Other witnesses identified him as well. Power insisted that they had all been mistaken, but Turnerʼs murder was only one of his crimes.

A Disgrace in Uniform

Born in Ireland in 1894, Power emigrated to England. After the police struck for better pay and conditions in 1919 – the last time they went on strike in Britain – Power joined the force in March 1920. Trained officers, some of whom were exemplary, were dismissed over the strike. That had unfortunate repercussions.

It created vacancies that were exploited by people who were not fit to wear the uniform. Power undoubtedly belonged to that category of officer and soon abused his authority. Just over a year after joining the force he failed to complete his beat. Six months later he was punished – his pay was reduced for a year.

It was a comparatively minor offence, but his next was not – it cost him his career and revealed the character flaw that would lead him to destruction. Within six months of being disciplined over his beat offences his conduct towards a servant named Clara Hammersley marked the beginning of the end.

Her employer, Frederick Taylor, insisted on making a complaint, but had the misfortune of making it to Power who promised to pursue the matter, claiming to know who the miscreant was. The incident occurred on December 14th 1922. Just over a week later Power was suspended. His police career was all but over.

On January 10^th 1923 the Joint Standing Committee dismissed him instantly. His career as a police officer was over, but Power was not averse to impersonating an officer, a trait that helped to send him to the gallows.

A Menace

Power had been a menace to the society he had sworn to protect just a few years earlier. The former police officer had been terrorising courting couples on the tow-path: demanding money with menaces from them along with committing more serious offences as well.

A young woman came forward claiming that Power had raped her. His reign of terror relied on his ability to impersonate a police officer, but finally his luck ran out. In December 1927 Power appeared in court in Birmingham, charged with Turnerʼs murder – the lesser offences lay on the file. He was prosecuted by the eminent barrister Norman Birkett KC¹. Power was rapidly convicted of Turnerʼs murder after a two-day trial. He was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Swift.

Powerʼs appeal failed and the 32-year-old former police officer was hanged by Thomas Pierrepoint, assisted by Robert Wilson on January 31^st 1928. He was the first former police officer to be executed in Britain in the twentieth century. If capital punishment could not prevent a former police officer from committing murder, despite knowing what the penalty was and that a shameful death on the gallows (in his case) was the likely result, can the death penalty really be the ultimate deterrent?