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In 1984 Hilda Murrell, a 78-year-old distinguished rose-grower turned anti-nuclear campaigner, was found brutally murdered outside her home town of Shrewsbury, England. The case became one of the biggest, most bizarre and baffling British murders of the 20th century involving political conspiracies surrounding the nuclear industry and the Falklands War.
After a cold case review, in 2005 Andrew George, who was a 16-year-old petty thief from a foster home, was convicted. However, Hilda’s nephew, former British Navy Commander Robert Green, has now published a book ‘A Thorn In Their Side: The Hilda Murrell Murder‘ with Rata Books, about his pursuit of the truth, in which he reveals fresh evidence which almost certainly would acquit George.
REVIEWS OF ‘A THORN IN THEIR SIDE’
“The former Royal Naval commander in charge of nuclear weapons , and his prominent Kiwi peace campaigner wife, blow the lid off this and many other British security scandals in an explosive tell-all book printed up in complete secrecy at the dead of night by their Masterton publisher…it is a gripping read. Something to rival le Carre or Fleming.” - THE PRESS – Saturday 8th October 2011
“This is a tale of mystery and intrigue which touches all our lives. Carefully researched and lovingly told, you cannot remain unmoved. The questions come thick and fast. There is always another stone to be overturned. Far more than a ‘who dunnit’, it is also a ‘why’ and ‘what dunnit’. Echoes of the death of David Kelly. It is a story which uncovers the life-threatening risks that have to be endured by a few for the many who ‘dare not speak’. - Michael Mansfield QC
The Source Documents page on this website contains a list of other anti-nuclear campaigners who were killed or intimidated because they were trying to get information to Rob Green about the murder, or they spoke out about contentious nuclear issues. There are links to scans of the original documents referred to in the book, including the death threats and the suppressed 1985 Northumbria Police report on their review of the handling of the case by West Mercia Police.
The History page on this website outlines the ‘The Belgrano Connection’, ‘The Nuclear Motive’ and a link to the ‘An Ordinary Citizen’s View of Radioactive Waste Management’ paper which Hilda was going to present at the first public inquiry into a new nuclear power plant in Britain, at Sizewell.
Marian Joy Harland said
Incredible book: gripping, courageous, and very timely. I have a waiting list of people here wanting to read it, and I am sending the link to others back in NZ. love and thankyou, M J H .
Jenny Snadden said
Here in NZ in 1985 the Greenpeace protest vessel Rainbow Warrior was blown up and a crew member murdered in our own waters by French secret agents under orders to discourage us from protesting against their country’s nuclear testing in the South Pacific. I am reading this book with similar dismay at the apparently limitless reach of (in this case) the British state to squash such dissent. The fragility of democracies in the face of such power is very dispiriting, but a book like this bravely continues the battle to get information out there, and is also a heartfelt message to the author’s beloved aunt that she has not died in vain. Thank you Rob Green. JS.
Marian Joy Harland said
Now it seems that the Hilda Murrell story fits into a hugely wider context.
See: http://nuclearcrimes.org/toc.php.
Also the documentary “Thrive”.
with love, MJH
Nel Listet said
Unless people who know what happened in this
and in numerous other State sanctioned murders,
keep researching, shouting, writing and reporting
the Truth, our ‘freedom’, ‘democracy’ and society
Degenerate and become worthless.
Nel. (London)
Nigel Chamberlain said
Extremely well researched and meticulously analysed. Difficult to follow for readers without some background understanding. Chilling for those of us with relevant memories of the times. Disturbing to think such collusion could have happened and such ineptitude be covered up. Incredible that the police settled for the prosecution and conviction thus achieved. Implications for the truth coming out, eventually, hardly bear thinking about but the effort to achieve that objective is deserving of wider support. Amazed at the author’s fortitude and tenacity. More than ably supported in bringing these revelations to publication by the skills and determination of the author’s wife and collaborator.
Nigel Chamberlain
Cumbria, UK
Sue Cook said
I heard the fascinating interview you gave to Litopia. I was presenting Crimewatch back in 1984 and Hilda Murrell’s murder was one of the first cases we ever appealed for the public’s help with. I’ve always felt certain there was a huge amount more to her murder than met the eye. I am now going to buy your book and look forward to finding out whether some of my theories were right or not.
Sue Cook
Jean Sims said
I read this book last November and was moved by the story. I was pleased to see several copies on the counter at Pennys, Chartwell Square, Hamilton this afternoon and have been thinking about it ever since. I plan to go back tomorrow and buy a copy for a grandson who will find it a gripping read.
roy edwards said
Having worked with Andy George when he worked for Dorricott Construction I was convinced he was capable of the murder of Hilda but since reading Rob Green’s book A Thorn in Their Side I am now sure that Andy George is innocent . There should be a proper inquiry into the case again with all the evidence that is available brought to light .
Kristine Taylor said
Unbelievable to kill an old woman who had the courage and the right to be heard. Shame on the Government and shame for sentencing an innocent man to life. We complain about injustice in places like Iraq, Iran, Somalia but this murder is probably only the tip of the iceberg at home.
Kris
Averil Wood said
I fear you are right and we may, at this moment be hearing about the possibility of another death that may well be by the same perpetrators. How dare we go demanding Democracy has to be ‘imposed’ on other Nations when we are only paying lip service to it. ?
Wonderful book Rob, I dont know how you find the heart to continue your research in the face of such bullying opposition.
Best Wishes, Averil
simonreah said
My family moved into the house on Sutton Road in the 80′s after Hilda Murrell. Just about to write a blog on it, I have found reading information from so many sources fascinating. So many things just don’t add up!
Gavin King said
Can I please invite you to see and listen to Do You Lie? by Heeley King on Youtube. Written and recorded in the mid 80′s. Thanks.
gordon dale said
Rob, Kate your unending desire for the truth gave both myself and wife Patsy(RIP) great strength to carry on with
our search for the truth.
peter norton said
My view: we have followed this mystery since 1984 – a time when right-wing UK politics under Thatcher ran riot as did left-wing UK politics under Blair in more recent times. We seem to elect delusionists and megalomaniacs in the UK. Hilda Murrell was a victim, amongst many, of Thatcher. She had given the signals that lured the Argentinians into invading the Falklands so she could play Boadicea and repel them. Popularity Politics.
Hilda Murrell was in her way after the General Belgrano went to the bottom, the victim of Thatcher’s order to sink her with a nuclear sub. Murrell was found dead in a wood near her home after being kidnapped and tortured for information about what Cmdr.Robert Green could prove, about the sinking. She was already on the watch list as an anti-nuclear nuisance.
Years later, Blair lured the UK Parliament into invading Iraq. Doctor Kelly was in Blair’s way after denying that the war was justified by weapons of mass destruction. But, Kelly could prove it. We know the rest. Unlike the continuing furore by Robert Green and because Kelly’s relatives, by comparison, have been subdued, it hasn’t been necessary to stitch anyone up for Kelly’s death.
After Jill Dando, where they fitted up a bloke surnamed ‘George’ to avoid admitting that foreign hit-men operate with impunity in the UK (George, so police said, had a microscopic SINGLE piece of gun residue in his pocket – so he musta put a gun in there, huh?), and another bloke with the same surname has now been fitted up for Hilda’s death-by-exposure (he couldn’t drive and had small feet, but he WAS in her house – so he musta dunnit, huh?), they’ll need another sucker with the surname George to fit up for Dr.Kelly if the political pressure gets to be too much. Got to complete the set.
By the way, at Andrew George’s trial for MURDER (altho’ it was manslaughter at best) the prosecutor, Latham, stated that Hilda died on 21st March – that’s generally the date of the Spring Equinox innit? It can’t be true so why did he say it? And why was she dumped in that particular spot?
For those who live near Hunkington Moat: see if you can get into the copse area from Hunkington Lane. According to Latham, Andrew George dumped the car there, just by the concrete pad, forced a taller person to stumble a couple of hundred yards across a rough field – without being seen – made her cross a deep drainage ditch, with or without the barbed-wire, through the line of trees beyond, to the clearing where she was left. And then, now alone, went back the same way to escape the area, walking along Huntington Lane to ‘safety’ in one direction or the other. You try it without being seen by ANYONE at all, while agitated and disheveled.
YOU try it – even on your own it’s difficult ‘cos the drainage ditch is DEEP and too wide for an old lady to jump. But, hang on, why not DRIVE in, hidden by the line of trees from Hunkington Lane, using the dirt road from the North? Dump the victim and drive out the same way. Why take a chance and WALK at all? Curious, huh?
Who says Andrew George is just a patsy with the wrong surname? Everybody should!
peter norton said
Having had a run in with local police informants I too found myself followed by a car – by the pikers themselves and then with an accomplice. I was also followed twice by motorcycles but made them get ahead of me and chased them on wet roads until they got too near their police station. Yes, they were policemen and I later found the bikes in the police station car park… Unluckily for them the roads were wet at 6am and they were noticeably terrified that I would have to run over them if they fell off. Also, these people hate cameras…In case I’m wrong, always carry something that can be made to be painful, but ‘innocent’, in your car (hair spray is good especially if you smoke), be prepared to use it without mercy, seal your letter box and alarm your doors and windows, make sure your company solicitor knows what’s going on and report every event to the local police. The police will be in on it so it’ll really hack them off.
They’ll attack your mail, harmless really but they think you’re frightened by it, they’ll monitor your phone, ditto, threaten your employment (as they tried to do with me) and get into your back garden. In my case they brought a big dog – but what they found out in the dark was that the fence was wired with rows of three pronged fish hooks – on short wires – and wooden strips below the soil spiked upwards with sharp nails. They never came back but left the evidence on those hooks that were left behind. Three-pronged fish hooks are the very devil to extract…especially from a dog. Gotta be prepared to meet fire with fire. Once they knew I’d retaliate it didn’t last long, but it was fun while it lasted.