The author, Edward Abel Smith, was contacted by Robin Garbutt, a man serving life for murdering his wife Diana, through an upbeat voicemail. Robin had been named The Times Book of the Week for the author's book "A Hateful Decision" about Churchill's attack on the French navy. The author, stunned by the call, felt contempt for the convict but was intrigued when he discovered Robin's family had created a website supporting his case. The family, including friend Jane Metcalfe, sought media attention for the case. The article explores the dissonance between Robin's public image as a victim of wrongful conviction and his private reality as a murderer. It also highlights the strange situation in Melsonby, a village of fewer than 800 people, where Robin's website garners significant local support.
The story begins on a Saturday morning when a phone notification played a north of England accent voicemail. Robin Garbutt, serving a life sentence for Diana Garbutt's murder, called from Wealston Prison to congratulate the author on being The Times Book of the Week. The author was chosen for the honor after researching a Ian Fleming biography at the National Archives in West London. While browsing case files, he found the damning judge's summing up of Diana Garbutt's murder — her death occurred hours before the alleged robbery, and her rigor mortis proved she had been dead long earlier. The jury convicted Robin, and his family later set up a website in Melsonby to maintain his claimed innocence.
This personal encounter reveals how a convicted murderer can build a following in a small community, even as the world celebrates his literary achievement.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing