The Green Bicycle Murder: Ronald Light, 1920 by Mark John Maguire
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- Опубликовано: 14 май 2019
- In 1919 Britain was gripped by the murder of a 21 year old young woman called Bella Wright. Various witnesses saw her in the company of a man on a green bicycle. Police eventually traced the owner of this bicycle and in spite of damning evidence against him he was found not guilty. A confession made to a Chief Superintendent Bowley was later discovered and this had been withheld from the public... Known ever since as "The Green Bicycle Murder", there has long been a consensus that Ronald Light - quite literally - got away with murder.
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A number of people have asked if they can help support my channel - I don't have any adverts on my channel (and don't intend to) but if anyone wishes to help defray the expenses of making these videos in some small way, they can buy me a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/MarkJohnMaguire
I recall being in Bella's position at least three times as a young woman. Some guy in the woods, or on the street, takes up talking to you, and you try to be polite but distant, answering in monosyllables and then letting your eyes slide away, but he won't be dissuaded. Then he starts "walking with" you, and you angle your body away and look for excuses to part ways, and try to find a public area with witnesses. He wants to "walk you home", and you say "no, thanks" and "I'm good" and "I'm meeting my boyfriend, actually", because you don't want him to know where you live. And the whole time he's smiling and acting friendly, even pretending to be hurt that you're not being nice to him (as if you owe niceness to a harasser, but you DO try to be polite because you're afraid of violence). The scariest thing is that you never know if you are talking with a harmless man of no social awareness, or a predator.
For Bella's sake, I wish she'd turned around and walked right back into her uncle's house. Or that her Aunt and Uncle had called her in when they saw that guy show up and greet her. Sure, it would have been "rude", but it's better to be rude to an innocent man than to politely put yourself in the power of a wicked man.
I am a female cyclist and I have had men trying to help me and men 'trying to walk with me'. I carry a personal alarm with me too. I have even had lone policemen approaching me too. I don't think all men are bad but many don't realise that them approaching us can make us scared. Once I had enough and a man approached me while I was at an isolated train station alone and I screamed at him and told him to go away, and I spotted a couple in a car and stayed by them and told them that man approached me. He did go away a bit shocked and he didn't like it when I found a couple to stay by..You can ring the police if a man harrasses you and won't leave you alone.
@@beaulieuc8910 🎭 🥱
oh god, I can feel your fear right now. Its a terrible fear. Im glad that youre safe
That's one compensation to growing old. The men leave you alone. But then you have to worry about your daughters.
I'm an expat Brit in USA, moving here in my late 20s, after many years of a first-class English schooling and university. I have never got used to how mangled, casual and inane the English language has been made in my new home, becoming worse and worse as the years go by, and it is so painful being subjected to this. How I love this channel to remind me of the immense talent at writing and narration that still exists in my homeland, and that humans do not need any ad infinitum music soundtrack in the background to enhance a story -- Mark's voice ably does that.
Thank you very much - I am flattered!
I love listening to this channel. 🥰
Agreed ! I am an American, but live abroad, and am no longer young. Believe me, the British people I 've known (educated ones, of couse) have always been much more articulate than the (educated) Americans. The English spoken in America has probably been "dumbed down" over time out of a sort of necessity to accomodate the enormous mix of peoples who immigrated there .....simplified English being the lowest common denominator.
Later, with mass media and social media, we have really seen the English language take a nose dive. It is appalling to hear, "Uhhh.. .ummm ...yeah.....you know....so........" appear in nearly every sentence a teenager utters, but the most horrific of all is "like !" When did THAT start ?
This narrator is indeed a gem. I adore listening to his voice: lovely pronunciation, choice of words, and modulation. The content is also excellent. I just wish we could send him off to schools around the U.S. to give presentations and show people what English should sound like - especially in narration !!!
I'm a hillbilly from west virginia and I have to agree with you. Listen to this gentleman is so refreshing
How sad, you are most welcome to leave the United States. We have a history of sending the British on their way back across the pond.
Having a privileged upbringing, money and the best defence lawyer still gets you off to this day.
So sorry to Bella and her family for the injustice. RIP
it was a accidental discharge
@@mattnolan5527 Riiiiight. Because he's not a liar! Give me a break.
@@rmonson5002 look at the evidence you halfwit
There may have been another reason to add to the four you mentioned. Back in the 1970s an elderly friend of my family who had served in the First World War told us that after the war there were many murders, often of a domestic nature but many demobbed soldiers got away with it with unless the crimes were too brutal. There was considerable sympathy toward returning soldiers. I believe Light was guilty, did make the confession but was still partially lying, the gunshot wound was no accident unless a terrified Bella had tried to grab the gun to get it away from Light, but I doubt it. I agree with your reasoning, Light was furious at being rejected.
Yes but he clearly committed crimes before the war. So it's not like the war made him the way he was it may have made him worse but he was clearly unstable before. The trouble he got in as a soldier should make him even more unsympathetic.
i am a rural cyclist and that woman could have been me. When I have a puncture I often get males offering to help. Even if I am feeling tired and just walk I get the 'helpful men'. I always carry a personal alarm and whistle when I go on my bicycle in the countryside and I now carry a body cam. It is horrible to think that there are men out there who just want to attack us.
Yes some men help, for your sake I hope they don’t offer to help you in the future. I’m sure you’ll get it figured out with your whistle and camera. Gday!
@@CmfunkS197To be fair, a lot of known serial killers initially pretend to help their victims to lure them in.
Even the world's deadliest serial killer, Pedro Lopez, lured in most of his victims through this exact method.
Lopez has been linked to at least 110 murders, & he admitted to killing 300.
Light was seriously one bad egg with issues against women. How gullible people were then, they thought a gentleman wasn’t capable of beastly behaviour. Excellent video. Thank you
They were likely still suspicious of him. It’s just that they didn’t have enough evidence to put him away. That’s the point of having a trial. If you can’t prove it then you can’t throw someone in jail or execute them. It’s actually a pretty good policy. I think he did it but who knows, in all honesty. There have been more shocking revelations about convicted “murderers“ who turned out to be innocent.
@@sabrinatscha2554 There have been far more people who have got away with murder and other serious crimes than the rare wrongly convicted.
It's weak juries that unleash the evil back out into the world to reoffend.
I was thinking the same thing.
Light was a pedophile and sex pest.
@@sabrinatscha2554 I don't know what you're talking about. They had more than enough evidence to convict him. But incompetent prosecutors and dullard juries are a thing.
What a surprise - I have recently discovered the best You Tube channel out there! These are so well-written and narrated, that I feel as though I have been transported back in time to the era of the murder. I have started at the first episode and I am thoroughly enjoying every single one. Thank you so much for your attention to detail, your golden voice, and your dedication to finding and bringing these wonderful historical "murderers" to light once again. Love the intro and music as well.
Thank you very much!
He is great!!!!!!! I love his stories and his voice!!!!
How very odd that the uncle didn't react that a man had stayed and waited for Bella during her visit. That ought to have set off warning signals.
How he must have regretted that!
It was a different world. Society hadn't totally crumbled yet.
16.50...photo of Bellas uncle shows he only had one leg, so was probably not able to chase after a bicycle
If anything that would make him appear less menacing. If he’s willing to sit outside her family members home and wait for her like he had some sort of familiarity with her it makes him come off as less threatening. That or maybe he was just stupid.
This may come as a shock to you but some people are really fucking ignorant/stupid.
She should never have been allowed to go home alone with a stranger hanging around.
Yes indeed, Pamela - I am sure the uncle and cousins must have greatly regretted this in the years following...
They Got Away With Murder and
But he made it look as though he had left until he was on her way again. At least the uncle was able to get a description of him, little good as it did in court.
His past offenses should have been brought up in court. Maybe then justice would have been done.
@Pennie P You're the one being glib with that response!
People in this time period were more trusting of people at this time, than now.
I absolutely believe that he was guilty of shooting her. I do not believe his “confession” distancing himself with some contrived accidental shooting. I do think that she was very uncomfortable with him and would not have stopped with him, particularly to look at a gun, in the dark. I think his narcissism wanted someone to know that he got away with murder.
Thankyou for this intriguing story. Beautifully spoken, calmly told and without dramatic effects.
Thank you - I am glad it meets with your approval.
What you have said, calm, and all the better for not having the dramatic effects, just beautifully spoken and researched..
Another brilliant narration. The man with the golden voice !
He reminds me so much of Michael Gambon lol
@@luciddreamer4938 me too
@@gracienoid44 me too!!!
Yes, so listenable, very smooth.
The cases in this series are fascinating, but it’s truly astonishing that some of these defendants were acquitted, including this guy.
Love old murder mysteries and the old pictures of the places and people. Well done in telling the story, and a great voice for doing so.
Thank you, I'm delighted you like it!
I know what you mean but l don’t like the idea of some who get away with it!
Another absolute gem! You obviously put it lot of thought and work into these lovely programmes, making this my favourite channel
Thank you, Sandra! I am delighted you enjoyed them!
How could he not know her name,when he called her name "Bella"?
His motive must be for thrill or curiousity,like some serial killers.
This thought came to my mind too . How did he know that her name was Bella ??
He guessed it? 😂
Once more Mr Maguire present the suggestion of a murderer without bias. Brilliant Mr Maguire, absolutely brilliant.
Sir Edward Marshall Hall seems to have defended ALL the bad guys...........
@@nrgltwrkr2225 Everyone deserves a good or even excellent defense in a criminal trial. To Marshall Hall's credit, he also defended many people who most likely were innocent, or whose guilt was at least somewhat diminished by mitigating circumstances (such as the prostitute Marie Hermann, who killed an abusive customer).
NO KIDDING 🙄
My thought exactly....
@@Divergent_Integral Everyone deserves a defence.
A competent defence. But there is no right to a good defence - some lawyers work to this principle :)
I mean he was a lawyer😂😂 And don’t many good guys or girls get charged with murder/rape etc. I mean who else was he going to represent?😂
Another gem of a video Love photos and the sketches in previous ones
Best narrative voice I’ve ever heard these episodes are the best hooked x
You, sir, are criminally undersubbed. I'm helping you along because I love your content and narration. ❤
So glad I found this gem! Very well written and presented. Thank you. Now...for the rest of the stories...
You are a marvelous storyteller. I wish that some other podcasters of notorious crimes would learn some forms of speaking techniques from you.
You are most kind - thank you, Carol.
He confessed to a police officer to gloat that he'd pulled the wool over the eyes of the judge and jury. He knew he couldn't be tried again.
I had never heard this story. Wonderfully narrated by a great voice!
Thank you very much indeed, Stephanie!
No dramatic music - just pure and excellent narrative 💓
Thank you!
Thank goodness - no background music /
Last one to see the victim is always, mostly! TYVM! Excellently done!
I could listen to the narrator by the hour. Thank you so much.
Such a compelling story teller. Thank you, as ever, Mr. Maguire, 🙏🏼
Thank you, Jodi!
Yet another great account of an historical murder.
This has given far more detail than any other documentary I have seen, so very well done.
RIP Bella.
Thanks Derek - much appreciated!
Of course he did it! It's the simplest explanation and one that makes sense of all the evidence. I hated the convolutions that tried to give another explanation. From what you say about his past just gives it more oomph. From what we know about criminals now, Light is most likely culprit. Once again, thank you for all the effort you put in these videos! They are such a pleasure!
You're very kind - thank you!
My goodness,
what a sad and creepy tale.
So happy to have stumbled onto this channel...fantastic and fascinating case!
So nice to watch a well made and presented account. Methodical, detailed, well-paced and narrated by a clear and natural voice with a minimal music background. Such a refreshing departure from the overbearing dramatic narration and needlessly loud music of most vids of this kind. keep up the good work!
Thank you, Rick - delighted you liked it!
Can I just say to all those who despise defence lawyers such as Marshall Hall - a lawyer swears to defend his client to the best of his ability no matter what his/her feelings are towards the defendant.
I agree with you, Carol.
I was wondering how the crow died but I now think that he shot the crow in order to make the police think that it was an accidental shooting by someone else. The girl must have been killed before the crow, however, since it walked through the blood ! Guilty!
Yu could be on to something here 😏
It was like he just shot Bella for nothing, I don't understand his motive.... He took nothing, didn't rape her.... He just followed her only to kill her... Mind-blowing....
@@diamondleigh7280 it's called control. Extreme case, but it happens.
Mentally disturbed obviously but it seems to me highly unlikely that that Light would have lingered around the scene of the crime to shoot a pigeon or crow just to bolster his alibi.
He just wanted to
Light's priors were atrocious - how they were suppressed during the trial is a great travesty.
Maybe deference to breeding?Things were different , then.....but...so different? Strange
Possibly One of The earliest cases of Stalking ! ( Great Research) Good Work! .
Earliest recorded murder after stalking incident. Im sure stalking is as old at dating concept.
@@karljunge I was referring to the term stalking not the act 😁
Very well narrated.
Many thanks, Shaun.
As soon as I heard he had Hall as his lawyer I already knew the outcome. Poor Bella. A life cut short with so much promise.
My mum recently passed away and after reading a book she left about our family I have learnt this poor young lady is one of my descendents
I really find it astounding that the uncle or the cousin's husband did not offer to escort her home . Also , if Light did not know her then how did he address her as 'Bella' ??
Uncle had a pegleg
@@fraseredk7433 so? Rape/murder is worse
He knew her name because he had insisted on accompanying her for a couple of miles before she managed to temporarily shake him off.
He always insisted that he said 'hello, I thought you'd gone the other way'
I grew up just over a mile from the murder location and knew about this as a child. Opinion back then was overwhelmingly that Light got away with murder. I cycled past Bella's home countless times but never knew that was her family home, it had a thatched roof back in the 70s and 80s.
Another great entry in a fascinating series. I must say that the doctors in a lot of the cases you cover seem very incompetent, in this case missing what must have been a significant head wound caused by a large caliber revolver fired at close range.
One wonders how many murder victims were never even identified as such with this level of medical ineptitude....
Of course he did it, he just had a clever barrister. Unfortunately this often happens. Poor girl.
Clever in a deviant sense .... and without scruples, with a love for money and fame. Hall would have known his client was guilty, and that this murder was the culmination of his client's many other prior sordid activities that may also have involved rape and murder.
Unfortunately some people reach opposite conclusions to yours, especially after hearing more evidence than a one hour video can supply, and after listening to the judge's summing up as well as the prisoner's defence... but what do they know compared with a YT viewer a century after the event?
Yikes! I didn’t know anything about Light’s criminal background. Very shady indeed!
Sir, you are a great storyteller. Well written and interesting. Well done.
Thank you kindly!
I totally agree with your summing up, and I think that had the jury known of his real history the verdict would have been guilty, or at least manslaughter (if that was an option in that era), although why would he have carried a revolver unless he was intent on some nefarious activity. 😀🇬🇧🏴👍
I would just like to tell you that your stories are absolutely amazing full of intrigue and facts and flawlessly narrated, Thank you so much for sharing these truly awesome cases with us all, please carry on your marvellous work as you’re doing a fantastic job.
One last thing, what do you think about the dead crow and it’s significance to this story? Or did I miss something? Again many thanks.
Many thanks, John - I have always thought the dead crow was simply a coincidence. I live in the country and I find a dead bird/rabbit/bird in the garden on many days - even a dead badger one day! Marshall Hall used the fact of the crow to suggest that Bella's death was due to a tragic shooting accident. It introduced a whisper of doubt into the case, which is always useful in a capital case! As I understand it, the crow had not been shot - although I am not aware that a full autopsy was conducted on the bird!
What a strange and monstrous man.
If Mr Maguire ever runs out of material, I'm sure we'd all enjoy his fascinating perspectives on those who didn't get away with it.
Extremely well written and narrated series, fascinating!
Thank you!
Another great presentation! I just love the sketches you do for the storyboard, Mr. Maquire! I wonder if the Prosecutor drove home the point of Light destroying all evidence, especially going to the trouble of filing off the serial numbers on the bike! That's a great deal of detail work, more like panic, trying not to get caught.
And more glaringly, Light's story about how the gun went off would have caused her to be shot at close range at waist level with powder burns; not in the cheek with no powder burns and estimated by the coroner to be at a 4-5 foot distance. And the jury also dismissed the testimony of the young girls? Mr. Prosecutor wherefore art thou??? ... and another wealthy sociopathic pedophile goes free from murder.
Thank you, you are very kind. You raise interesting points - and far too little of the available evidence went to the jury. An unhappy end.
Great job - another rivetting case!
Thank you, Rhian - I'm glad it met with your approval!
New subscriber.Thanks for giving different theories of murder,then giving a good summary of who you think the murderer was. I too am binge watching.
Thank you, Sarah - I'm delighted you like them!
Me too Sarah. I’m watching them all again. I’m British but I certainly don’t speak as well as Mark Ha Ha. 👍👍
An excellent presentation of a murder case and the view that class and privilege , can affect the plea if presented in the right way will
determine the outcome.
Nicely put together vid. Ronald Light really did get away with it.
Thank you, Cathy - glad you liked it.
Excellent. No doubt he was guilty of many other things too.
I'm inclined to think so also!
I too think that he was Guilty and in those days no one could be tried for a crime to which he or she was acquitted and the two Questions are if he didn't do it who did and what became of the Murder whepam
Pedophiles are repeat offenders. They quit when they die. - I have known aged ones that I dealt with in my career in psychiatry. I'll never forget one: so dapper, elegantly spoken and wealthy to boot. A charmer. He was regaling a whole group of individuals when I met him. A "silver-haired fox" in tweeds: very handsome and sharp - and very old. - No one knew that he had come to visit the office of his parole officer.
Poor Bella. Excellent narration, thank you. 👌💕
Me as well. Well articulated presentation - soothing voice - measured - well written - marvelous stories.... 👍🏻
This is a most interesting case told by a most excellent story teller. How did the killer, I wonder, stay under the radar? Was he able to control his impulses the rest of his life? It would seem so. Having been rebuffed earlier that day intensified his fury to the point of murder. At the end he simply had to show someone his victory over the charges, especially someone in law enforcement. He was unable to keep from telling. His pathology is very intriguing. All in all, this is the most interesting case of all.
Thank you, Vivian - yes, it is intriguing. To an extent, such people are usually kept track of by the police. It is common in reading the police files from this period, to see notes referring to "x is now living on the south coast at xx. I am informed that he is living with a woman there who..." etc. A couple of years after his acquittal, Light was charged with failing to give his correct name while staying at a hotel with a woman... It was hardly an unusual occurrence for unmarried couples to use false names, of course, but the fact he was charged with it, suggests 1) they were watching him, an d 2) prepared to use any misdemeanour against him that they could!
There is an excellent book on this case by C Wendy East. It seems that Light was a sex offender known to the police. This information was not allowed as evidence in his trial.
@@TheyGotAwayWithMurder One wonders.... Did he ever kill again? He shows all the signs of a serial killer...Chilling thought.
It’s galling to hear these murderers living to a ripe old age with no real consequences. Just going along w life like the rest of us. Where’s the justice ?
If Light had had a puncture like he said then the cops could have verified this as they found the bike and both its wheels
superbly done
You have the best stories. I love that it’s set in the past
A wonderful telling of the story. Thank you.
Wonderfull...though I am sure I have already listened, that delivery never fails to enthral. Thankyou.
Many thanks indeed!
Poor Bella - it’s so creepy the way the man on the bicycle is described, stalking her
Great writing and narration 👍🏽👍🏽
PS. Cool graphics and sound on the intro 🎇
Thank you - I'm so glad you like it!
New to this channel and now subscribing! Thank you for such an interesting and sad story - what a horrible creepy man, he was definitely guilty!
Thank you Nicky - I'm pleased to meet you - and yes, a very sad story.
Killed by her own courtesy. Didn't want to make the man uncomfortable.
Well, let's not take away his accountability; he killed her, not courtesy. But it is a good reminder to trust one's gut, and to be assertive, firm, and fast when it comes to setting boundaries and escaping uneasy circumstances.
I love your name Betty! Good point, about setting boundaries. I was brought up in the old fashioned way, never saying boo to a goose, and feeling violated when people overstep. My daughter, needless to say, is encouraged to affirm her own boundaries. Poor Bella.
Always believe that tingle. We have it for a reason. 🤷♀️. We want to be polite, but....
I can't imagine her being firm with him would have ended much better.
@@MsDormy Thank you for the compliment MsDormy :) Yes I think there is a lot of social pressure to not make waves, even today; I'm susceptible to it too. I'm glad you've encouraged/educated your daughter to help her break through these patterns!
He was guilty of so much, and got away with it all.
18.50 mins...he had a punchure that he mended. You can’t fix a puncture on an old bike without a spanner and yet he told Bella he didn’t have one!??
Next time you put in the minutes and seconds on the video, write in the clock dots like 18:50 then ppl can go straight to the minutes you're speaking of in the video 😉... Hope this helps 💕
Good point !
Tyre levers not spanners.
Yes you can...leave the wheel on and just de mount the tire!
Very well written and produced. A fascinating but sad story.
So happy I found this amazing channel. Thank you 🙏🏻
I'm glad you found it too - thank you Shannon.
Marshal Hall was a brilliant attorney but helped many killers get not guilty verdicts. I would hate that on my conscious. You did a great job on this story & the old photos are awesome. 😊
Where was he going that day on his bike? Red flags started to go up for me when he met her outside the uncle’s house. It wasn’t like a love smitten 15 yr. old, this man was clearly much older than her, which is creepy.
I somehow stumbled upon this channel which I find to be better than anything on TV or elsewhere.
You are very kind - thank you, Jay!
Another great story i will be listening too. Thank you!
Excellent presentation, beauiful voice, first class British English. Congratulations!
so under rated....appreciate the style and manner..enjoyable to watch..peace and health to you..
Thank you very much - I am glad you like them!
Great voice and narration - lovely to listen to and very very commanding - not to mention a very compelling story
BEAUTIFULLY written....
Thank you very much indeed!
So well written and narrated; many thanks.
Thank you, Jay!
The commentator and narrator is good, I could listen to him for days. Very well researched.
Thank you for another great video. I am a new subscriber and have now watched three videos on this very wet winter’s day in Sydney, Australia. Very interesting and...sort of...enjoyable.
I absolutely love your channel .. thank you so much ~ please don’t ever stop ! Much love from “Downunder” 🙏🏻🇦🇺❣️
Thank you so much!
I’m truly enjoying this program. Thank you.
Well narrated.
Thank you, Julia
Hello! Recently found your channel and am making my way through from oldest to newest. These are fantastically produced and narrated; I'd never heard of some of these. Thanks and hope you're doing well during these trying times.
So interesting. Love the backstory info, tidbits of history, the narration and the photos. Superb. I hope you can continue to do more.
Mr J Maguire is a brilliant story teller i have only found this amazing voice ,because I wanted some history on a murder in 1918 in kidwelly Wales, Mr Maguire puts it in a way you feel he's actually a reporter in the days the crimes were committed, very talented
Thank you, Andrew! That would be the Harold Greenwood case?
Wonderful channel. Extremely interesting.
Thank you. 😊😊
Thank you - I'm so glad you liked it!
Yeah I think he got away with murder for sure. It's true what they say, even back then, money talks and bull sh-t walks! So glad I found this channel. No one could tell these stories as well.
Thank you, Sandi!
beautiful narration, great story, ty for no distracting music
Thank you very much, Sharon.
The fact that Sir Edward Hall should receive a knighthood for assisting in seeing so many guilty men walk free is an absolute scandal he should have been linched as a co conspirator.
You don't really get fundamental principles of English jurisprudence, do you?
Enjoying your channel and very much admire your whimsical drawings!
Thank you, Christina!
Awwww I really really love this British accent and reading. It gives me some familial kind of experience. So soothing. Thank you very much for this.
Thank you - I'm delighted you liked it! :)