#289 - The Chalk Pit Murder - Part Two (Thomas John Ley, Kensington, London)

Murder Mile UK True Crime

Murder Mile UK True-Crime Podcast

True Crime, English, Nglish, E, Uk, Crime, London, Society & Culture, Murder, Killer, True-crime, History, Personal Journals, British

4.7 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

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Summary

This is Part Two of Two of The Chalk Pit Murder.

On Thursday 28th of November 1946, Australian politician Thomas Ley enlisted four good people to help him trap a bad man who terrorised women. As a simple plan with no law broken and nobody hurt, it was a gentlemanly reaction to a dastardly crime by a criminal who they felt deserved worse. Only what began as a good deed by four decent and moral people, soon descended into deceit and death.

Date: Thursday 28th of November 1946 at 7:00pm+ (murder of John Mudie)
Location: 5 Beaufort Gardens, Knightsbride, London, SW3 (Ley's house, with entrance being on Brompton Place)
Victim: 1 (John McMain Mudie, known as Jack)
Culprits: 5 (Thomas John Ley & Lawrence John Smith, plus co-conspirators John William Buckingham Snr, Lilian Florence Bruce & John Buckingham Jnr)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	As the basement door of five Beaufort gardens slammed shut, and the Walsley drove away,
0:13.0	facing two burly men on either side of the passageway and the scowling grimace of Thomas Lay.
0:20.0	John Moody muttered,
0:21.6	I know what this is about.
0:24.6	At least he thought he did.
0:27.6	Just like the co-conspirators, Lawrence Smith, Mrs. Bruce,
0:31.6	John Buckingham and his son John Jr., the chauffeur,
0:34.6	who had lured this man here.
0:44.4	As a strong ex-soldier, Moody knew he was outmanned, so he didn't struggle.
0:50.4	As Buckingham threw a sack over his head, Smith bound his ankles in arms with 12-foot rope.
0:52.6	Muttering, you're stifling me.
0:55.0	To scare him, Buckingham joked.
0:58.0	You're breathing your last.
1:00.0	Not knowing that this was the truth.
1:03.0	Buckingham recalled,
1:07.0	Moody was scared.
1:09.0	As the aim was for the man, the lay claimed was terrorizing Mrs. Brook and her daughter,
1:14.6	to sign the confession, to take the money, to be on a flight, and to never return, as they
1:20.6	dragged Moody into a small windowless office and dumped him in a chair with a pen and paper.
1:31.3	If he moved, they pulled him back.
1:36.3	If he screamed, they gagged him with an odd-smelling green cloth.
1:39.3	And if he didn't sign it, he was threatened with a beating, even though no one was to get hurt.
	...

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