Today I change topics slightly - as this is a story I found via Trove about 'Skulls' Garvie who may/or may not be one of the ghostly characters we still find at Maitland Gaol.
One thing is for sure - he was a very nasty, despicable person in life.
Mirror (Perth, WA : 1921 - 1956), Saturday 5 November 1955, page 10
A MAN WHO HATES "SKULLS" GARVIE REVEALS THAT -
One thing is for sure - he was a very nasty, despicable person in life.
Mirror (Perth, WA : 1921 - 1956), Saturday 5 November 1955, page 10
A MAN WHO HATES "SKULLS" GARVIE REVEALS THAT -
An armed sex monster plans gaol break
(From our Special Representative)
Mervyn 'Skulls' Garvie, one of Australia's most monstrous sex slayers, is reported to be planning an armed escape from Maitland Gaol.
Garvie plans to shoot his way out with a shotgun, taking with him the prison payroll.
An ex-convict claims that the rapist-murderer has the shotgun hidden in the blacksmith's shop at the gaol. Garvie, he says, made the shotgun him-self, and is "full of hate."
He boasts continually that "it ,won't be long now."
The ex-convict is Francis Frederick Kirkup, 30, hospital wardsman, of Yarra Bay Road, Yarra Bay. Twice in recent years he served sentences at Maitland Gaol with Garvie.
Garvie is serving a life sentence for one of the most brutal crimes in Australia's history.
On August 29, 1946, he murdered Cecil John Kelly, 35, near Bulli, then attacked Kelly's 24-year-old fiancee, and criminally assaulted her five times. 'State Cabinet commuted the death sentence passed on Garvie, but added a rider that he was "never to be released."
Garvie got his nickname "Skulls" from the skull and crossbones tattooed between his eyes.
Kirkup said this week that Garvie had spoken to him of his escape plans during two sentences Kirkup served at Maitland.
In June, 1953, Kirkup completed at Mait-land a three-year sentence for theft. "I got to know Garvie — he was and still is working in the blacksmith's shop,''said Kirkup.
"He knew my sentence was expiring. Gets a Gun "He asked me to get a 22 rifle, break it into parts, and get some bullets. "He wanted me to put the rifle and bullets in a piece of pipe, and throw it over the wall. "To pacify him I told him I would do it.
"He also wanted me to make an appointment to meet him when he escaped. "He told me he would meet me at a place between Gloucester and Dungog.
"Before I left the gaol he said: "It'll be on a pay day that I leave, and I'll be bringing the payroll with me.' "He told me that if I could not get the .22 he would make a shotgun for himself."
Kirkup said that in February, 1954, he was sentenced to two years for theft and, in April of that year, went back to Maitland. "Garvie then asked me why I didn't do what he asked me," said Kirkup.
I told him that as I was leaving prison, I was arrested for transfer to Queensland on another charge. "He believed that." Kirkup said that Garvie by then had begun making the shotgun. Garvie kept it hidden and locked up, and very few convicts knew that he had it.
"I saw it every day because I was in his confidence," he said. "I was in the tailoring shop, and I used to do sewing jobs for him. "Every time I spoke to him he said, 'It won't be long now.'
"Putting Him"
"The gun looks like an ordinary shotgun. "It has two barrels, but no trigger-guard. "The last time I saw it Garvie was about to fit the butt to it."
Kirkup was transferred from Maitland to Long Bay in June, and released on licence last week. A Mirror representative asked Kirkup why he had not told the authorities. "I thought I would be under a threat from other prisoners, he said. "But I've since found out that nothing would have come of it.
"The other lifers hate Garvie, although if he breaks gaol some of them will go with him. "I have no hesitation 'putting him in.' "I would put him in as quick smart as look at him because I hate his guts, that's why.
"The things he done to that girl." Kirkup said that Garvie told him he regretted that he had not criminally assaulted the woman more than he did.
He boasted of his crime and said: "I would do it again if I had half a chance." Kirkup said that Garvie was "full of hate."
"He talks about some of the things he would do if he ever got a sheila," he said. "Garvie thinks that everyone has got a down on him and for that reason he hates them. "He talks of escape frequently.'' "And Maitland is not a safe place to have him because for a man like him it's easy to get out."
An ex-convict claims that the rapist-murderer has the shotgun hidden in the blacksmith's shop at the gaol. Garvie, he says, made the shotgun him-self, and is "full of hate."
He boasts continually that "it ,won't be long now."
The ex-convict is Francis Frederick Kirkup, 30, hospital wardsman, of Yarra Bay Road, Yarra Bay. Twice in recent years he served sentences at Maitland Gaol with Garvie.
Garvie is serving a life sentence for one of the most brutal crimes in Australia's history.
On August 29, 1946, he murdered Cecil John Kelly, 35, near Bulli, then attacked Kelly's 24-year-old fiancee, and criminally assaulted her five times. 'State Cabinet commuted the death sentence passed on Garvie, but added a rider that he was "never to be released."
Garvie got his nickname "Skulls" from the skull and crossbones tattooed between his eyes.
Kirkup said this week that Garvie had spoken to him of his escape plans during two sentences Kirkup served at Maitland.
In June, 1953, Kirkup completed at Mait-land a three-year sentence for theft. "I got to know Garvie — he was and still is working in the blacksmith's shop,''said Kirkup.
"He knew my sentence was expiring. Gets a Gun "He asked me to get a 22 rifle, break it into parts, and get some bullets. "He wanted me to put the rifle and bullets in a piece of pipe, and throw it over the wall. "To pacify him I told him I would do it.
"He also wanted me to make an appointment to meet him when he escaped. "He told me he would meet me at a place between Gloucester and Dungog.
"Before I left the gaol he said: "It'll be on a pay day that I leave, and I'll be bringing the payroll with me.' "He told me that if I could not get the .22 he would make a shotgun for himself."
Kirkup said that in February, 1954, he was sentenced to two years for theft and, in April of that year, went back to Maitland. "Garvie then asked me why I didn't do what he asked me," said Kirkup.
I told him that as I was leaving prison, I was arrested for transfer to Queensland on another charge. "He believed that." Kirkup said that Garvie by then had begun making the shotgun. Garvie kept it hidden and locked up, and very few convicts knew that he had it.
"I saw it every day because I was in his confidence," he said. "I was in the tailoring shop, and I used to do sewing jobs for him. "Every time I spoke to him he said, 'It won't be long now.'
"Putting Him"
"The gun looks like an ordinary shotgun. "It has two barrels, but no trigger-guard. "The last time I saw it Garvie was about to fit the butt to it."
Kirkup was transferred from Maitland to Long Bay in June, and released on licence last week. A Mirror representative asked Kirkup why he had not told the authorities. "I thought I would be under a threat from other prisoners, he said. "But I've since found out that nothing would have come of it.
"The other lifers hate Garvie, although if he breaks gaol some of them will go with him. "I have no hesitation 'putting him in.' "I would put him in as quick smart as look at him because I hate his guts, that's why.
"The things he done to that girl." Kirkup said that Garvie told him he regretted that he had not criminally assaulted the woman more than he did.
He boasted of his crime and said: "I would do it again if I had half a chance." Kirkup said that Garvie was "full of hate."
"He talks about some of the things he would do if he ever got a sheila," he said. "Garvie thinks that everyone has got a down on him and for that reason he hates them. "He talks of escape frequently.'' "And Maitland is not a safe place to have him because for a man like him it's easy to get out."
Prison-Made Shotgun
Sadist, killer Thousands of people asked the State to hang rapist killer Mervyn Garvie. Garvie, 39, crept up on Cecil John Kelly and Kelly's fiancee.
Kelly and his girl were sitting in Kelly's car at Sandon Point, near Bulli. Garvie killed Kelly by battering him on the head with an iron bolt. After raping the girl throughout the night he put Kelly's body into the car and forced her to get into the car also.
He attempted to strangle her with a handkerchief. The girl pretended to be dead. Garvie then set fire to the car and attempted to push it over a cliff into the sea. It crashed against a rock.
The girl jumped out. Two local residents found her lying near the car in the morning.
Garvie was on license when he committed the crime, a license he gained by remissions of a previous sentence.
He had been convicted on September 8 1941, of brutal assault with attempted rape.
He was released on license on May 14, 1946, after having been granted a year and nine months'
ordinary remission and six months' peace re-mission.
Sentencing Garvie to death, Mr. Justice Herron described him as "a monster unfit to live with human beings."
State Cabinet commuted the sentence to life imprisonment.
Individual members of Cabinet felt that Garvie should hang. but they decided to abide by Labor Party policy which is opposed to capital punishment.
Cabinet had before it a petition signed by 6000 South Coast residents advocating that Garvie should be hanged.
Kelly and his girl were sitting in Kelly's car at Sandon Point, near Bulli. Garvie killed Kelly by battering him on the head with an iron bolt. After raping the girl throughout the night he put Kelly's body into the car and forced her to get into the car also.
He attempted to strangle her with a handkerchief. The girl pretended to be dead. Garvie then set fire to the car and attempted to push it over a cliff into the sea. It crashed against a rock.
The girl jumped out. Two local residents found her lying near the car in the morning.
Garvie was on license when he committed the crime, a license he gained by remissions of a previous sentence.
He had been convicted on September 8 1941, of brutal assault with attempted rape.
He was released on license on May 14, 1946, after having been granted a year and nine months'
ordinary remission and six months' peace re-mission.
Sentencing Garvie to death, Mr. Justice Herron described him as "a monster unfit to live with human beings."
State Cabinet commuted the sentence to life imprisonment.
Individual members of Cabinet felt that Garvie should hang. but they decided to abide by Labor Party policy which is opposed to capital punishment.
Cabinet had before it a petition signed by 6000 South Coast residents advocating that Garvie should be hanged.
Comments
Post a Comment