An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ in which reporter Kevin Rowntree speaks with English hangman or executioner Albert Pierrepont who between 1931 and 1956 put to death for the state between 435 and 600 men and women. During the interview he talks extensively about the execution process and about developing the ‘English method’ of hanging which he saw as being humane due to its quickness. He also talks of his work putting to death those condemned of war...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ in which reporter Kevin Rowntree speaks with English hangman or executioner Albert Pierrepont who between 1931 and 1956 put to death for the state between 435 and 600 men and women. During the interview he talks extensively about the execution process and about developing the ‘English method’ of hanging which he saw as being humane due to its quickness. He also talks of his work putting to death those condemned of war crimes following the Nurenberg trials including Irma Grese and Josef Kramer. He goes onto talk about the reasons why he resigned in 1956 and about his legacy. Back in the studio presenter Ian Breach conducts a discussion on capital punishment with Conservative MP for York Conal Gregory and Labour MP for Houghton and Washington Roland Boyes. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing In the Tyne Tees Television studios in Newcastle presenter Ian Breach introduces this week’s edition of Briefing which features an interview with pub landlord and public executioner Albert Pierrepoint about his 25-year career put to death for the state more than 400 people. In voiceover reporter Kevin Rowntree providing a background on his career, Albert Pierrepont steps out of his Southport bungalow and admires the flowers growing in his front garden. Inside he sits in a comfortable chair speaking with Kevin about his early live and his desire to became an executioner. He is asked if hanging is humane, he believes in his day it was because it was so quick. Albert goes through the process of a typical execution from arriving at the prison by 4pm, the preparation and the execution itself. He talks about the importance of having the rope the correct length for the individual and the one time when he had an issue with an execution. Albert is asked if hanging an innocent man had ever troubled him, he doesn’t believe he has ever executed an innocent person. He is asked about Timothy Evans whom he executed in 1950, he remembers him being a ‘great guy’ who wasn’t any trouble and who smiled as he placed the hood over his head. In answer to the question that hanging was a drawn out and unfair on the culprit, Albert reads out the strict Home Office rules which he followed which states the execution should be ‘carried out with speed and dignity’. He repeats the statement that the ‘English method’ was most humane as it was quick with the execution itself taking between 8 and 14 seconds from start to finish. Albert admits that he doesn’t speak with the condemned unless absolutely necessary, he talks a little about how the condemned act at the end and with a smile remembers an execution of someone whom he vaguely knew as a pub landlord in Oldham who literally ran to the scaffolding and went ‘just like that’. Title: End of Part One Part Two Albert remembers the first execution he ever attended which took place in Dublin when he was an assistant to his uncle. He remembers being offered a glass of whiskey by the warden after the execution and refusing it which impressed his uncle. Albert talks about his experiences in Austria at the end of World War Two where he had to teaching local executioners the ‘English method’. He talks about how his executions were so quick, because it severe the first and second vertebrate causing near instant death. On being asked about executing women he remembers all those who were convicted of war crimes at Nurenberg including between 14 and 16 women. He had no compunction executing the likes of Irma Grese and Josef Kramer and is very proud of the fact that because of the ‘English method’ they were able to get 13 executed within only two hour. Albert corrects Kevin when he says Albert ‘hanged’ people, he preferred the term ‘executed’ as it sounds nicer. Albert is asked about protests against capital punishment that would take place outside prisons, he doesn’t really know much about this but believes it may be more related to the individual being executed rather than capital punishment itself. Kevins asks Albert why did resign, he replies that it doesn’t have anything to do with his last execution of Norman Green or that of Ruth Ellis but rather the nonpayment of his fees and expenses following the reprieve of the prisoner he was scheduled to execute. Albert is asked if his feeling have changed with regards capital punishment, he states he can’t make up his mind if he is in favour or not. The world is very different place from when he was an executioner and more dangerous for people like him because of the likes of the IRA. He believes one life is as good as another, his exception is for child murderers whom he says ‘they want it’. He isn’t sorry that the Pierrepont family tradition will die out with him, he doesn’t have a son but if he did he wouldn’t want him to follow him in being an executioner. He laughs when asked if being an executioner has made him a wealthy man, he gives details of the low pay he received for the limited number of executions that happened each year. He wouldn’t come back to train the new breed of hangmen should capital punishment be restored; he ends by saying its experience that most important. Returning to the studio Ian Breach conducts a discussion about capital punishment raised in the film with Conservative MP for York Conal Gregory who is in favour and Labour MP for Houghton and Washington Roland Boyes who is against. Credits: Presenter Ian Breach Reporter Kevin Rountree Film Camera Eddie Crooks Film Sound John Hughes Film Editor Peter Telford Research Lynne Petrie, Mike Jordon Political Editor John Sleight Film Director Rob Cowley Studio Director James Whiteley Executive Producer Peter Moth Producer Bob Farnsworth End title: Tyne Tees Colour. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXIV