The shocking case of an 11-year-old girl from Newcastle who murdered two toddlers in the 1960s remains one of Britain's most disturbing criminal stories. Mary Flora Bell was diagnosed with psychopathy before her trial for the deaths of four-year-old Martin Brown and three-year-old Brian Howe.
A Troubled Childhood and Early Warning Signs
Mary Bell's upbringing was marked by profound neglect and abuse. Her mother, Betty, a sex worker and dominatrix, reportedly rejected her at birth, exclaiming "take the thing away from me!" in hospital. Mary's father was unknown, and her childhood was characterised by severe mistreatment.
Claims emerged that Betty Bell had tied up and sexually abused her daughter, tried to sell her for adoption, and even gave her sleeping pills before dropping her from a first-floor window. This deeply troubled background formed the context for Mary's disturbing behaviour.
From a young age, Mary displayed alarming tendencies. She was known to regularly wet the bed and had a habit of attempting to strangle her classmates. On one occasion, she blocked a girl's throat with sand. It was suggested she had pushed a boy from an air raid shelter and tried to strangle three other girls.
The Chilling Murders and Bizarre Aftermath
The first victim, four-year-old Martin Brown, was found dead in a derelict house on May 25, 1968, his arms stretched above his head. Just two months later, on July 31, three-year-old Brian Howe, who lived on the same Scotswood street as Mary, was discovered on nearby wasteland.
Mary had lured both children by offering them massages, claiming they had sore throats, before strangling them. Brian Howe's body was found barely concealed under vegetation, with a broken pair of scissors nearby and a crude letter "M" carved into his abdomen.
In a statement, Norma Joyce Bell, a 13-year-old unrelated to Mary who was initially implicated, recalled Mary's chilling nine-word question before an attack: "What happens if you choke someone; do they die?" She then described Mary putting her hands around girls' throats until they turned purple.
The aftermath of Martin Brown's death revealed further disturbing behaviour. Mary and Norma broke into a nursery and scribbled confessions on a blackboard amidst toppled furniture. The messages included: "WE did murder martain brown" and "Watch out THERE are Murders about."
Just two days later, before Martin's funeral, the girls turned up at his mother's doorstep asking to play with him, before adding: "oh, I know he's dead; I want to see him in his coffin."
Trial, Diagnosis, and Life After Detention
At Newcastle upon Tyne Assizes in December 1968, Mary Bell was found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of both toddlers. Norma Bell was acquitted of all charges. Mr Justice Cusack described Mary as "dangerous" and warned of "a very grave risk to other children if she is not closely watched."
Dr David Westbury, a Home Office psychiatrist, told the jury Mary displayed a psychopathic disorder as defined under the Mental Health Act. When asked if he knew of a suitable facility for her, he replied "No." The judge remarked it was "unhappy" that no suitable hospital was available in the country.
Mary was handed a life detention sentence. Her time in institutions was turbulent. In 1972, while at Red Bank approved school in Lancashire as the only female among 23 males, she was involved in a scandal concerning sexual misconduct and pornography.
She briefly escaped prison in 1977 with another inmate but was recaptured within days. Mary Bell finally gained her freedom in May 1980, aged 23. The authorities provided her with a new identity and anonymity, which was extended beyond her daughter's 18th birthday due to ongoing legal issues.
The publication of her biography, Cries Unheard, for which she received £50,000, led Martin Brown's sibling to argue she had forfeited her right to anonymity. However, in 2003, Inspector John Reynolds of Staffordshire Police stated the Home Office was "quite happy that Mary Bell is not dangerous," noting prison authorities said she was "not the slightest bit dangerous."
The case of Mary Bell continues to provoke debate about childhood psychopathy, the impact of extreme abuse, and the capacity of the justice system to handle such uniquely disturbing young offenders.
