William Basterfield was remanded in custody for attempting to extort £150 (£9,000 in 2023 values) from Lady Baring in Cowes on 28th February 1942.
Lady Baring was the wife of Sir Godfrey Baring, Chairman of Isle of Wight County Council, magistrate and former MP. Baring Road in Cowes is named after Sir Godfrey.
Carpenter William Basterfield – of Barton Road, Newport – had written the following threatening letter to Lady Baring:
“You have been chosen to pay a fine of £150 imposed on Sir Godfrey (Lady Baring’s husband), and the chief magistrates and lawyers of Newport, for their dirty work of sentencing innocent men. We five called the ‘Revenge Red Hand’ will bring terrible suffering to your household till the fine is paid.
“Get £150 ready in £1 notes, and you will be told what to do later. It is to repay a fine for the money we have lost in legal fees, loss of wages and suffering for wrong sentences in these courts. Revenge is sweet, madam, and be wise, and don’t lay any police traps or the terror will double.
“We have bombs, bullets and arms of soldiers and we will have justice, and God help you if you fail to pay. Look out for the Red Hand.”
Lady Baring was instructed to put the following advertisement in a local newspaper:
“Personal, Agree to your terms. Baring.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Lady Baring placed the advertisement but informed the police.
She was then told to put the £150 in notes in a parcel, which was to be hung at 19:00 on railings near the Duke of York Inn, Cowes. A bullet was sent in a further note “as a grim warning of what will happen if you attempt any police trap.”
A parcel was prepared by the police ‒ not with waterproof wrapping as demanded ‒ but covered with carbon paper, which would leave incriminating marks. This was placed on the railings with a fishing line attached to it. The line led to a shop where a policeman had hidden and lay in wait.
At 20:55, a man snatched the parcel and ran up the street. The hidden policeman felt a ‘bite’ on the fishing line and gave chase. Basterfield threw the parcel into the front garden of a house. When captured, his hands were stained with carbon.
A handwriting expert subsequently testified that the handwriting on the letters to Lady Baring and that of Basterfield were the same.
51-year-old Basterfield was committed for trial at Winchester Assizes, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
The sentence fitted the crime, shame they don’t these days!
Well at least he was sent to prison and not given a slap on the wrist.
Take note justice court,this is what you should be doing not giving criminals a cuddle
“dirty work of sentencing innocent men”
Must be a story here.
These days they’d just supply Lady B with a crime number
What happened to the other 4