Britain's longest serving prisoner who was convicted of murdering two pre-teen girls in 1951. The following year, he escaped for a four-hour period and murdered another girl during this short spell at large, although he has long proclaimed his innocence, and has had his case examined by justice campaigners who also believe his conviction is unsafe. Straffen was reprieved from a death sentence due to learning difficulties, and spent 55 continuous years in custody. Straffen died, having never been released, at HM Prison Frankland in November 2007. From 2002 until his death, he was the oldest prisoner known to be serving a whole life tariff, following the death of
Archibald Hall.
