Family Friend Named as Suspect in Alfred Swinscoe Murder

A family acquaintance has been identified as a suspect in the homicide of miner Alfred Swinscoe, whose remains were located over five decades after his disappearance. Mr. Swinscoe was last observed in January 1967, consuming drinks at a pub situated in Pinxton, Derbyshire. His interred remains were unearthed on agricultural land in April 2023; a subsequent post-mortem examination determined that he had sustained stab wounds and blunt force trauma. This suspect, who is now deceased, is one of two individuals law enforcement agencies suspect of potential involvement, according to findings from a BBC investigation. The second individual suspected has also since died. Mr. Swinscoe’s remains were uncovered in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, during excavation activities in a field. He had been interred at a depth of four to six feet. Distinctive socks discovered on the skeleton were recognized by his grandson, facilitating the identification of the remains. In November, a coroner concluded that the 54-year-old had been unlawfully killed, having suffered multiple traumatic injuries. The BBC is refraining from disclosing the names of either man suspected of involvement, out of consideration for their surviving family members. However, interviews conducted with individuals familiar with the family friend, alongside historical documentation, portray an individual with a documented history of violent behavior. In April 1966, John Shawcroft, a resident of Pinxton, was subjected to a brutal assault. Mr. Shawcroft frequented the Miners Arms, the establishment where Mr. Swinscoe was last observed, and regularly encountered him there. He also had a close acquaintance with the “family friend” suspect. “We used to go drinking,” he stated. “And mess about with motorbikes and cars.” Their camaraderie abruptly ceased on that particular evening. Following a drive to Mansfield for drinks, the two individuals were seated together in the man’s vehicle. Unexpectedly, the man struck Mr. Shawcroft in the face, then moved from the driver’s side to the passenger seat, forcibly removed him from the car, and repeatedly kicked him while he was on the ground. “We were just talking. Next thing – bang,” Mr. Shawcroft recounted. “I can remember him kicking me and that were it. I just lay there, I did.” Mr. Shawcroft was left “bleeding profusely” and sustained injuries severe enough to require a two-week hospitalization. Nottinghamshire Police indicated that some of his injuries bore resemblance to the blunt-force trauma believed to have been inflicted upon Mr. Swinscoe. His assailant was found guilty of malicious wounding, which is categorized as one of the most severe violent offenses within the legal framework. Fred Webster, another Pinxton resident, attended school with Mr. Swinscoe’s youngest son. He reported a peculiar encounter with the same individual who assaulted Mr. Shawcroft, occurring approximately around the time of the miner’s disappearance. Vehicle ownership was uncommon in Pinxton during the 1960s. Consequently, when the man, who was eight years Mr. Webster’s senior, extended an offer for “a spin in a car,” Mr. Webster was easily convinced. “He just turned up and he just asked me if I wanted to go out like,” he stated. “I sort of judged him as a bit strange.” The man drove Mr. Webster at high speed near a wooded area off Coxmoor Road in Sutton-in-Ashfield, in proximity to where Mr. Swinscoe’s body was interred. “He said something like, ‘these woods on the right hand side,’ and something about ‘you can sure hide summat up there’,” he recounted. The two individuals subsequently visited a pub for several drinks but did not socialize together thereafter. Mr. Webster reported that the drive instilled in him a sense of unease, partly due to the circuitous route, which was over six miles from their shared residence in Pinxton. The BBC has learned that the man served in the military during his twenties and maintained a friendship with Mr. Swinscoe’s eldest son. In 1962, he received a six-month prison sentence for offenses including driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, and theft. Archival newspaper accounts further indicate that in 1973, he faced accusations of assaulting two police officers. Mr. Swinscoe’s grandson stated that, as per his uncle’s account, this same individual followed the miner out of the pub on the evening of his disappearance. Nottinghamshire Police disclosed several details concerning the first suspect, including his 1966 conviction for the assault on Mr. Shawcroft. They affirmed that “the decision to declare him as a suspect is a really sound one.” However, the police force has provided minimal information regarding the second suspect. The BBC’s inquiry has determined that he was a Pinxton resident and was acquainted with Mr. Swinscoe and his family. The evidence against him, as well as against the first suspect, is not definitive. Nevertheless, police stated that if both men were currently alive, they would have been brought in for interrogation. Relatives of Mr. Swinscoe express anger that Derbyshire Police, who conducted the initial investigation into the disappearance, did not undertake more extensive actions. Certain individuals within the local community have held a long-standing belief that the “family friend” was implicated in the murder. Furthermore, the BBC has been informed that members of Mr. Swinscoe’s family provided his name to law enforcement at the time. Peter Bray, a retired East Midlands murder detective, commented that in the 1960s, officers occasionally did not treat missing persons cases with sufficient seriousness. “The mindset was probably ‘the missing person will turn up, let’s wait until they turn up before we look into it in more depth’,” he explained. In August, detectives reported that all documentation from the period of the disappearance had been misplaced. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding Nottinghamshire Police’s management of the case since the discovery of Mr. Swinscoe’s remains. John Shawcroft informed the BBC that the police force had not contacted him during its investigation, even though the 1966 assault was included as evidence supporting the case against the first suspect. Fred Webster also expressed a perception that the police had been dismissive. Earlier this year, upon the launch of a renewed appeal concerning Mr. Swinscoe’s murder, he contacted law enforcement to share information about the “strange” man who had driven him. “I rang the police up,” he recounted. “They said, ‘we don’t want to know. We know who they were and they’re dead’.” “So I said, ‘you don’t want to know who I think did it, then?’ They said no and put the phone down.” Russell Lowbridge, Mr. Swinscoe’s grandson, commented: “It don’t seem right, does it?” “They put an appeal out there for the public to help, and to me that’s just snubbing them.” The BBC reached out to Nottinghamshire Police, relaying the information supplied by both Mr. Webster and Mr. Shawcroft, and highlighting that they had not been interviewed. Subsequent to receiving this information, the police later released a statement indicating that detectives have now interviewed “two witnesses” and that “the information they provided was extremely helpful.” The force did not specify why the interviews had not occurred sooner, but appended: “We do now know that when one of the two witnesses had tried to contact us with information, their report, unfortunately, was not taken from them in full. It has been now and we thank them for their help.” It asserted that police had left “no stone unturned in the search for Alfred’s killer or killers.” Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin stated: “Alfred’s family remain at the heart of everything we do.” In response to allegations that insufficient action was taken at the time of the disappearance, a Derbyshire Police spokesperson remarked: “The way that the police investigates both missing persons and homicide have significantly changed since 1967.” They further commented: “The murder of Alfred Swinscoe was a horrific act, and our thoughts remain with his family and friends.” Additional reporting was provided by Mary O’Reilly. For updates, follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content hosted on external websites. 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