Interrogations-and-Confessions-Handbook

500 A Psychology of Interrogations and Confessions
These were Detective Superintendent John Capstick and Detective Sergeant
Denis Hawkins.
Iain Hay Gordon was soon to become a suspect in the case, because he had
lied to the police about his alibi and he was acquainted with the Curran family.
At the time of his arrest Gordon, a 20-year-old Scotsman, was doing his National
Service with the Royal Air Force in Northern Ireland.
The Police Interviews
Gordon was first interviewed about the murder on the afternoon of 13 November
1952, about 13 hours after the discovery of the body. This was a part of a routine
questioning of Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel at the Edenmore Camp where
Gordon was stationed. Gordon said that between 2300 hours and midnight he
had been in the billet (this was the initial time estimation of the victim’s death).
He was noted to have a black eye. (It later became apparent that Gordon had
received the black eye when he had been hit by another airman three days
previously.) Gordon volunteered that he knew the Curran family and had last
been to the house about three weeks previously.
The following day Gordon was interviewed again and asked about his movements
between 1700 and 1800 hours on 12 November 1952. This was because
it had in the meantime become apparent that Miss Curran might have been
murdered shortly after she returned home on the bus at 1720 and not about
midnight as thought previously. Gordon said he had gone to the Whiteabbey
post office at 1630 on the day of the murder and returned to the camp at 1700.
He then had his evening meal in the dining hall. He then lied to the officer
that he had walked out of the dining hall to the billet with Corporal Connor.
This proved not to be the case. Gordon was later to claim that this had been at
the suggestion of Corporal Connor, who also told the police that he and Gordon
had been together. Later Mr Connor claimed that the lie about their alibi had
been at the suggestion of Gordon. Both Gordon and Connor were later to be
interviewed as suspects. Connor made no confessions to the murder during interrogation,
but Gordon broke down on 15 January 1953 and confessed to the
murder.
Gordon was again interviewed on 17 November 1952. He claimed that he
had been alone in the camp all evening. He was also interviewed about his
relationship with the Curran family and it was confirmed that he had met Miss
Curran on a few occasions.
On 29 November, Gordon was interviewed again, but this time by Sergeant
Denis Hawkins from Scotland Yard. Gordon was asked again to go over his
movements between 1700 and 1800 hours on the day of the murder.
On 4 December, Gordon was interviewed for about 30 minutes by Sergeant
Davidson of the RUC about his movements on 12 November 1952.
On 10 December, Gordon was interviewed for about one hour by Detective
Superintendent John Capstick and County Inspector Albert Kennedy, a
local officer who was responsible for the criminal investigation. Gordon was
asked about his relationship with a local man, Wesley Courtenay. Known to
the police was the fact that the two men had allegedly been involved in homosexual
encounters.