Styllou Christofi

 Styllou Christofi was the second-to-last woman to be hanged in Britain. She was born in Cyprus about 1900. In 1925 she was accused of murdering her mother-in-law by shoving a burning piece of wood down her throat. However, she was acquitted.

Her son Stavros moved to Britain. He worked as a wine waiter. He married a German girl called Hella and they lived in Hampstead, London. The couple had three children. In 1953 her Styllou went to live with her son and daughter-in-law. 

However, the two women did not get on at all. They argued constantly. Matters came to a head in 1954. Hella announced that she was going to take her three children on a holiday in Germany. She made it clear to Styllou that she wanted her gone by the time she returned to Britain. 

But Styllou had other plans. In the evening of 29 July 1954 she walked up to Hella and hit her over the head with a heavy ash pan from a boiler. She then strangled Hella with a scarf. Christofi removed Hella’s wedding ring. She then dragged the dead body into the back garden. In a futile attempt to destroy the evidence, she poured paraffin over it and set it on fire.

A neighbour saw Christofi standing by the fire but he thought it must be a mannequin. Later, Christofi ran into the street and approached a couple in a parked car. She said ‘Please come. Fire burning. Children sleeping’. The couple found the fire. The fire brigade were called and when they saw the burning body they called the police. 

Christofi claimed she was woken by male voices and had seen a man in the garden by the fire. She claimed she attempted to douse the fire with water. Not surprisingly, police did not believe her and they arrested her for murder.

While she was awaiting trial a doctor examined her and stated that in his opinion, she was insane. The defence team urged Christofi to plead not guilty because of insanity but she refused. Perhaps she was too proud. 

Christofi went on trial on 25 October 1954. She was found guilty and she was sentenced to death. Styllou Christofi was hanged on 15 December 1954.