Dundee Evening Telegraph – Friday 31 December 1948

Prison Bakehouse Murder Charge

Walter Bonas (31), was charged at Manchester to-day with the murder of James Giffen (25), a fellow prisoner in Strangeways Jail.

William Lewis, prosecuting, said Bonas and Giffen were working in the prison bakehouse on December 9. There was some discussion as to whether or not someone was carrying tales about Bonas with view to getting him removed from the bakehouse to work elsewhere. Had the accused been removed his earnings (8d a week) would have been reduced to 4d. As a result of that argument Giffen went to a bread store, off the bakehouse, with Bonas. Shortly afterwards they came out and it was alleged that Bonas had a black eye.

” There seems to be slight difference of opinion here, but shortly afterwards Giffen apologised to Bonas and supplemented his apology by going to get a piece of raw meat for his eye.”

Later Giffen was standing with another prisoner facing the oven. Other prisoners in the working party were sitting about the bakehouse when Bonas was seen go up behind Giffen and aim a blow at the back of his neck. When he withdrew his hand it was seen that he had a knife in it.

Mr Lewis said Giffen fell to the ground and bled profusely. When interviewed by the police he denied all knowledge of what took place, and denied being present at the time.

Mr Lewis declared, ” You will hear from witnesses that as soon as this had happened Bonas asked all the witnesses to take the line they had seen nothing and that if they all stuck to that story he would manage it all right.”

Bonas comes from Thurnscoe near Rotherham, Yorks, and Giffen lived at Blantyre.