The Magnificent O'Connors: Episode 3 – The Murderer and the Silk

Podcast: The History Podcast
Host: BBC Radio 4
Episode Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the extraordinary life of Jimmy O’Connor, a notorious London thief convicted of the 1942 murder of ‘Donk’ Ambridge—a crime he always claimed he did not commit. We follow the efforts of his now-elderly wife, prominent barrister Nemone Lethbridge, and their children, Ragnar and Milo O’Connor, as they pursue one last campaign to clear Jimmy’s name before it's too late. Intertwined are narratives of postwar prison life, a heady literary career, famous acquaintances, and family fallout—all overshadowed by the enduring battle for justice.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jimmy O’Connor’s Conviction and Stay of Execution

• Prison and Pardon:

  • Audio clip of Jimmy recalling his time in Bentonville Prison as the only condemned man (01:32).
  • He was sentenced to death for Ambridge’s murder, despite maintaining his innocence (01:42–02:03).
  • A dramatic reprieve arrived just days before execution:
    "It said, now know ye that we are pleased to extend our grace and mercy... and to grant him our pardon... on condition that he be kept in penal servitude for life.” (02:19–03:28)
  • The law still saw him as a murderer, just “not one it was going to hang.” (03:28–03:46)

• Ongoing Doubt and the Quest for Justice:

  • The family is motivated, even decades later, by the doubt that led to Jimmy's life sentence, not his execution (03:57–04:56).

2. The Family’s Contemporary Fight for Exoneration

• Present-day Investigation:

  • Ragnar, Milo, and their mother Nemone (now 93), resolve to make one final push to overturn Jimmy’s conviction (03:59–04:56).
  • They enlist wrongful conviction specialist Louise Shorter, who previously helped overturn 18 murder convictions (05:34).

• Obstacles and Methods:

  • The group discusses missing evidence (notably the trial transcript), government secrecy, and the “seriously dodgy” criminal backgrounds of key prosecution witnesses (08:51–09:17).

  • Shorter’s process involves re-investigation, seeking new evidence, and—if successful—a submission to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) (06:41–07:02).

  • On the challenge:
    "For me, my little radar goes off thinking there is something seriously dodgy going on here. I don’t trust this evidence." – Louise Shorter (09:11)

  • Missing trial transcripts are a major obstacle, with decades of attempts at archival research yielding nothing (10:16–10:45).

• Next Steps:

  • The family sends further Freedom of Information requests, and combs both public archives and their private family collection for useful documents (11:23–13:50).

3. Life Inside: Prison, Writing, and Psychological Trauma

• Prison Experiences:

  • After his sentence is commuted, Jimmy spends long years at Dartmoor and Wandsworth—the former infamous for bleak conditions (13:50–14:07).
  • Prison routines are described, along with the psychological effects of long-term incarceration.
  • Creative output became Jimmy's survival mechanism:
    "Dad did a creative writing course with Ruskin College, Oxford… His tutor wrote back and said, unless you learn to write proper English, you can't possibly succeed. Then your writing is far too valid." – Nemone Lethbridge (14:26–14:59)
  • Jimmy’s gritty, authentic writing style is dismissed by academics but becomes the foundation of his later career.

• Confronting Death:

  • While working in Wandsworth's stores, Jimmy routinely saw the materials of execution—a macabre reminder of his own brush with the noose (16:02–16:35).

• Continual Nightmares:

  • "I've been hung a thousand times. I've had thousands of nightmares where I've actually been trussed up like a chicken and being executed." – Jimmy O’Connor (16:35)

4. Release, Media Savvy, and Public Campaigning

• Conditional Freedom:

  • Released in 1952 after 11 years, Jimmy remains “on licence,” under constant threat of return to prison (17:07–17:58).

• Media Blitz:

  • Jimmy’s campaign to clear his name is chronicled by Jack Fishman of Empire News, who is convinced of Jimmy's innocence (18:30–19:00).

• Confrontation with the Police:

  • Jack Fishman’s statement recounts a threatening exchange between Jimmy and Chief Inspector Thorpe.
    “You know I’m innocent and I intend to prove it to me.” – Jimmy
    “I’m warning you, drop it or I will put it on you again like last time. And next time it will be for the rest of your life.” – Thorpe (Reported by Fishman, 19:24–21:33)
  • The threat prompts Jimmy to retreat from his public campaign, fearing re-imprisonment.

5. Transition to Journalism and Meeting Nemone

• Journalism Begins:

  • Post-prison, Fishman hires Jimmy as a crime reporter, leveraging his underworld connections (22:09–22:52).
  • Jimmy interacts with diverse social circles—criminals, police, aristocracy, and celebrities—becoming a well-known London character (22:52–23:13).

• Meeting Nemone Lethbridge:

  • Romantic anecdotes from their meeting at the Star Tavern. The barrister-pupil (Nemone) and the ‘fascinating man’ (Jimmy) are quickly drawn to each other (24:09–24:38).
  • Jimmy’s candor about his past is immediate:
    "Straight away. So in the pub that night or afterwards? No, in the pub, really." – Nemone Lethbridge (24:30–24:38)
  • Their courtship lasts a year, marked by Jimmy’s quirky marriage proposals (25:06–25:24).

• Marriage as Social Statement:

  • Nemone candidly explains her reasons:
    “If I married him, it would show that somebody convicted of murder could still be a good and valuable human being.” (25:30)
  • She acknowledges the professional jeopardy:
    “Yes. I knew it would be deadly. ...I thought I might just get away with it. But it's highly unlikely.” (26:32–26:44)

6. Fallout and Scandal

• A Secret Marriage Unearthed:
  • Their Dublin wedding avoids attention—initially (26:51–27:03).
  • The secret leaks at a social function; the press brands them "the murderer and the silk" (27:28–28:29).
  • Nemone is forced out of her legal chambers by a terse letter from the head:
    “Dear Nemole, I've instructed the clerk to remove your name from the door and to return your quarters rent. I'm sure you won't want to go into the distressing details of why, but your continued tenancy is a source of embarrassment.” (28:29–28:51)
  • Nemone reflects:
    “Well, there was nothing I could do.” (29:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the stay of execution:
  "We see the gallows and a dangling noose slightly swinging." – Jimmy O'Connor (02:14)

• Regarding official doubt:
  "Because there's a doubt. If there is a doubt, he shouldn't..." – Jimmy O’Connor (03:49)

• On investigating wrongful convictions:
  "If Waterton was subsequently convicted of something around his credibility that might be quite..." – Louise Shorter (09:36)

• On the psychological toll of prison:
  "I've been hung a thousand times. I've had thousands of nightmares where I've actually been trussed up like a chicken and being executed." – Jimmy O’Connor (16:35)

• On marriage as statement:
  "If I married him, it would show that somebody convicted of murder could still be a good and valuable human being." – Nemone Lethbridge (25:30)

• On professional repercussions:
  "Yes. I knew it would be deadly. ...I thought I might just get away with it. But it's highly unlikely." – Nemone Lethbridge (26:32)

• On being forced out:
  “Dear Nemole, I've instructed the clerk to remove your name from the door and to return your quarters rent... your continued tenancy is a source of embarrassment.” (28:29)

• On family motivation:
  "It would mean a lot to us to get that done while Mum is still alive and kicking. She's 93 years old now, so realistically, this is probably our last chance." – Ragnar O’Connor (03:59)

Important Timestamps

• 01:32–03:46: Jimmy O'Connor on execution, pardon, and quest for justice.
• 05:34–07:40: Introduction of Louise Shorter, wrongful conviction process, obstacles.
• 08:51–09:36: Court evidence, dubious prosecution witnesses.
• 10:16–10:45: Missing trial transcript and archival research.
• 13:50–14:07: Dartmoor prison details.
• 14:26–14:59: Jimmy’s creative writing and reaction of Oxford tutor.
• 16:35: Jimmy’s nightmares of execution.
• 17:07–17:58: Release conditions; life “on licence.”
• 19:24–21:33: Fishman’s account of threatening call from Inspector Thorpe.
• 22:09–23:13: Transition to crime reporter; social integration.
• 24:09–25:24: Nemone and Jimmy’s courtship and marriage.
• 25:30: Motive behind Nemone’s marriage to Jimmy.
• 26:32–28:29: Nemone’s professional fallout after marriage exposed.

Tone & Style

The episode blends investigative rigor with intimate, sometimes wry family storytelling. Ragnar’s narration is candid and deeply personal. Nemone and Jimmy’s voices come through with wit and resilience, while Louise Shorter’s critical, pragmatic expertise drives the family’s ongoing hope for justice.

Conclusion

Episode 3 of "The Magnificent O'Connors" pulls together history, family, and the British justice system in a rich and emotional tapestry. The fight for Jimmy’s exoneration is part quest, part family reckoning, and part commentary on how the marks of conviction ripple through generations. The journey is far from over, but the episode leaves listeners on the cusp of possible breakthroughs—both archival and emotional.