Is it possible that a child would be born of the devil? Graeme Young was a poison prodigy. He began experimenting with lethal doses when he was under 16. And then he began to poison his family and friends as experimental rats.
As a young child, Graham was already addicted to poisons. If in the overwhelming majority of people only the word "poison" causes anxiety and fear, then Graham calmly, even as if amused, studied their deadly effects and waited impatiently for an hour to get down to the "real business."
Young had a bleak childhood. Holding a deep grudge against the world, he looked for role models among fellow outcasts. His idols were Dr. Grippen, who killed his family, and the villain of the Victorian era, William Palmer. In thinking about their lives and terrible crimes, Graham found some consolation, making up for the lack of affection in the family.
Graham Frederick Young was born on September 7, 1947. His mother died when he was only three months old. He was looked after by his father's sister Aunt Winifred and her husband Jack, as well as their kind-hearted landlord. But at the age of 2, the boy's life changed dramatically. He was sent to his father, who married a 26-year-old woman named Molly. Later, psychologists will note that Young received his first lesson in cruelty when he was forcibly separated from his most beloved people - Aunt Winifred and Uncle Jack. After he was returned to his father's house, he could never again believe in human kindness, believing that everything in life leads to pain and disappointment.
The relationship with his stepmother was not bad, but he lacked maternal affection and love. Maybe Molly found it difficult to force herself to be nice to him, since already at the age of 9, the boy was constantly digging in containers with garbage in search of poisons, reading books on Satanism and wearing a swastika badge that he bought from a junk dealer. Graeme refused to remove it even at the request of school teachers.
Nevertheless, Graeme possessed an exceptional intelligence and excellent ability for science. When at home they celebrated his successful passing of exams, the father gave his son a set of chemicals. This gift served as a magic key that opened the door to the wonderful land of poisons, with which Graham so dreamed of experimenting. Retorts and burners, laboratory pipettes and crucibles became his toys at an age when most boys had their pockets full with slingshots and tufts. His games were more violent than those of other children.
Graeme loved to watch the death throes of a mouse, which he gave poison, prepared using the chemicals from the kit. When his angry stepmother threw away the still living mouse and demanded not to bring them into the house in the future, he drew a tombstone near the mound, on which he wrote: "In memory of the late hated stepmother - Molly Young", and slipped the drawing over the eyes of the unfortunate woman.
The boy was attracted to poisons and the consequences of their exposure. When he was 13 years old, he came across a book that changed his life forever. It was the story of the 19th century criminal Edward Prichard, who poisoned his wife and mother with antimony. Antimony is a slow-acting poison that causes seizures, vomiting and edema in victims. Such symptoms sometimes lead to misdiagnosis, and therefore antimony is often used by killers.
Promotional video:
Chemist Jeffrey Reis of Nisden sold some antimony to Graeme. Young hid his age, saying that he was already 17. Reis later told police that he was struck by the guy's knowledge of poisons and detailed descriptions of planned experiments with antimony.
Young was able to twist the chemist around his finger, hiding his true intentions.
Chris Williams, one of Graham's high school friends, also became interested in chemistry. Young invited him to his home laboratory to observe the experimental mouse's death throes together. But Chris didn't seem to like it very much, and he became friends with another guy. Graeme interpreted this as a betrayal. Chris had to be punished, and Young began to add antimony to his sandwiches and watched the result with gloating joy. After Chris had two bouts of severe vomiting, the parents referred the guy to the doctor, who, however, could not make an accurate diagnosis.
Throughout the first half of 1961, Graham was adding small doses of poison to the food of his school friend.
Poisoning epidemic
Young carried a vial of antimony with him at all times, calling it "my little friend." When her stepmother accidentally found a vial with a skull and crossbones, she demanded that her stepson stop traveling for chemicals to Reis and informed the chemist about Graham's age. But he could no longer be stopped. Young found a new supplier and a new victim. This victim was to be Molly Young.
In October and November 1961 Mrs. Young suffered several bouts of violent vomiting. Then the same thing happened with Graham's father and Aunt Winifred. One day, by mistake, Young added antimony to his food and also became very ill, but that did not stop Young. Using antimony oxide bought from Edgar Davis, also a chemist fooled by the young poisoner's knowledge, Graeme took care of his half-sister. But the girl felt an unusual aftertaste and spat out the tea, accusing her mother of poorly washing the cleaning powder from the cup.
Winifred was the first to be diagnosed with poisoning. She became ill on the subway on the way to work on a summer morning in 1962. She felt dizzy, her face twisted in pain, and she was taken by ambulance to a clinic in Middlesex, where a doctor said that she probably had poisoned with belladonna. Winifred blamed her nephew as guilty, but a search of his room did not confirm her suspicions.
In the meantime, Molly's health continued to deteriorate as Graeme increased the doses of the poison he added to her food. In early 1962 Molly passed away.
So at the age of 14, Graeme Frederick Young committed a real murder. He was arrested on suspicion of poisoning his stepmother, but then released without charge. Molly's body was cremated, and evidence of the presence of poison in the blood evaporated with the body.
From that moment on, the young poisoner believed in his right to punish those who annoyed or betrayed him. In addition, he has not yet settled with everyone. His father was still receiving doses of antimony, as was Graham's unfortunate friend, who continued to suffer from unexpected bouts of vomiting. But they were all still alive. Eventually the poison killed Fred Young, and he was taken to a clinic in Wilsden, where he was diagnosed with arsenic poisoning.
“It's funny! Young Young smirked to himself while visiting his father at the clinic. "I can't imagine how it is possible not to see the difference between antimony and arsenic poisoning." He told the doctors that his father had all the signs of antimony poisoning, but he kept silent, of course, how the poison got into the body. Father was delighted, saying that he was lucky and he would live. But his liver was almost completely destroyed. He was discharged, but a few days later he was again brought to the clinic, as Graeme could not resist and added another portion of antimony to his father's tea.
The Young family was now seriously alarmed by the suspicion that all diseases were the work of their "sweet" boy. They were jarred by the interest and animation with which Graham discussed with the doctors the effects of the effects of poisons on the body. My father advised Aunt Winifred to keep an eye on her nephew. But the "exploits" of the obsessed youth were revealed by the school chemistry teacher. He examined the young man's desk and found notebooks with horrible drawings of people in death throes, empty bottles of antimony oxide, as well as detailed descriptions of what doses of poisons are needed to poison an adult. After discussion with the director, it was decided to call the police. The police, in turn, called in a psychiatrist to help catch the poisoner red-handed.
Posing as an employee of the career counseling bureau, the psychiatrist asked the young man what he was going to do after graduation. The doctor was amazed at Graham's deep knowledge of toxicology. After the juvenile poisoner gradually laid out everything he knew, the psychiatrist had no doubts that this teenager was a psychopath. He advised the police to search Graham's room. During the search, 7 types of poison were found hidden in various places, as well as a significant amount of antimony compounds.
Returning home from school, Graeme ran into police officers. He completely began to deny his involvement in the poisoning of loved ones, but vanity prevailed. At one time, he could not resist not to boast of his knowledge in front of doctors and a psychiatrist, but now he burst out in front of the police, and he began to paint with bravado what a successful poisoner he was. He confessed everything: he named the doses, the duration of the injection of the poison and the method of preparing the poisonous mixtures.
At Ashford Research Center, Graham was subjected to a thorough psychiatric examination. Doctors recognized his case as quite rare, since the teenager did not feel guilty. “He clearly lacks the concept of love for his neighbor, and did not even have in his thoughts an understanding that he should live according to certain laws established in society” - this was the official conclusion of the experts.
Young spread to doctors about his love for his father, while treating him like a guinea pig. He told them: "I chose my loved ones because they are always there and I could keep a diary of observations of the results of the experiments." Graeme Young had no qualms about it. “I like antimony for the power it gives me over others,” he explained.
The case of the schoolboy poisoner attracted public attention. He was brought to trial on July 6, 1962. Melford Stevenson of the Old Bailey was appointed Judge. This Supreme Court of Britain half a century ago sentenced to death the idol of Graham Frederick Young - Dr. Grippen.
Graham was accused of poisoning his father, aunt and school friend. He spoke at the trial only once with an attempt to justify himself and read out a statement written by him in the pretrial detention cell. To the police, the poisoner said the following: “I thought that the doses I was giving were not lethal, but I realized that I was not doing very well. It worked like a drug on me, even though I was not on drugs. I was aware of all the idiocy of my experiences with poisons. I understood this from the very beginning, but I could not stop."
After the psychiatrist established that Young was a psychopath, he recommended that the defendant be admitted to a prominent psychiatric clinic in Broadmore. The judge wondered why it was in such a gloomy and abandoned place, but after the speech of Dr. Donald Blair, another expert psychiatrist, all doubts disappeared. Blair told the court the following: “I have no doubt that this young man is very dangerous to society. His obsessions and absolutely abnormal interest in poisons and in experiments with them are unlikely to disappear, and he will continue to do his dirty deeds."
Young was sent to Broadmore with instructions not to be released pending clearance from the Home Office. However, it is not the last time the world has heard of Graham Frederick Young and his poisons.
Poisoner behind bars
Broadmore suited Graham quite well and became his second home. This institution is primarily a clinic, and the young poisoner found himself surrounded by such a variety of drugs, drugs and other medications, which he could not even dream of. He enjoyed “lecturing” the staff and often advising nurses on the use of drugs in the absence of doctors.
Suspicion fell on him after 23-year-old murderer John Berridge died of cyanide poisoning. But Graham was not accused of this crime, despite the fact that he repeatedly told other prisoners how this poison can be isolated from laurel leaves growing in the courtyard of the clinic.
Young's Chamber at Broadmore became a place of fascism worship and was adorned with swastikas in abundance. He even grew a mustache and combed his hair like Adolf Hitler. He was able to get hold of a "green card" - a special pass that allowed free movement around the chambers and in the garden. The pass was issued to him by psychiatrists, despite protests and warnings from the rest of the medical staff.
This document gave Young the ability to collect leaves and plants with toxic ingredients and steal chemicals and medicines. Nurses often found vials of poison not on their shelves, but in completely unexpected places. The possessed poisoner managed to hide some, but not all.
And then the staff and patients began to feel cramps in the stomach, cramps appeared. It was later revealed that Young was spreading the poison freely throughout the clinic.
With the help of two doctors who dreamed of getting rid of him, Graham managed to persuade the security service to release him on Christmas 1970. He spent the holiday with his aunt, but when he returned to Broadmore, he felt more humiliated than ever. He expressed his indignation in the following words: "When I get out of here, I will kill one person for every year I spend here."
The staff of the clinic warned that there is only one thought firmly in this guy's head: to become the most famous poisoner after Grippen. His threatening note will be kept in the archives of the clinic.
Nevertheless, Graeme Frederick Young will be at large after 9 years. At 23, he will return to his forgiving aunt Winifred, at her home in Hampstead, Hertfordshire, to then go to a boarding house in Chippenham and start a new life.
Another poisoning
A few weeks later he went back to his old ways. The passionate soccer fan Trevor Sparks, who met Young in the training room, suddenly felt pain, then convulsions appeared. This went on for six months, and he was so exhausted by the mysterious "disease" that he completely forgot about football. Sparks will eventually confirm that he was friends with Graeme and would never have thought that he systematically poisoned him.
April 1971 - Young came across an advertisement inviting him to work as a storekeeper at John Hadland's company in Bovingdon. This company was engaged in the production of high-precision optical equipment and photographic equipment. Graeme liked the administrator Godfrey Foster. He attributed his long break from work to a disease of the nervous system. Foster made inquiries at the training center and received excellent reviews. Then Foster accepted Young without hesitation.
1971, May 10 - he arrived at the place of work. The firm believed it had acquired an executive storekeeper, but in reality hired an angel of death. Young rented a room, and soon all the lockers in it were filled with vials of poison. At work, he was considered a quiet and modest young man, but when the conversation turned to chemistry, he immediately became unusually animated and changed.
His best friend was 41-year-old Ron Havith, who was about to leave the company, but stayed to hand over business to his successor, Graeme Young. With others, the relationship was also friendly. Ron more than once lent Young money, gave him cigarettes, and Young paid for his kindness by serving the employees tea flavored with poison.
Less than a month after joining the company, 59-year-old Bob Egle, a warehouse manager, suddenly developed an upset stomach with cramps and vomiting. Then, with similar symptoms, Ron Havith fell ill, who, moreover, had a burning sensation in the larynx. Headland employees called the cryptic pains "infection."
In fact, the symptoms were caused by the ingestion of a very toxic chemical, thallium. Young bought thallium from chemists in London and poured it into tea for his colleagues. No one suspected anything, since thallium has no taste or smell and is therefore doubly dangerous.
On July 7, Bob Eggle died. His death was painful, but an autopsy was not done, as doctors diagnosed bronchial pneumonia caused by pyelonephritis.
In September, after a relatively calm summer for the employees, Fred Biggs suddenly died, suffering from convulsions and pain for 20 days. Young played a sympathetic role, as with his other victims. “Poor Fred,” he exclaimed hypocritically. - It's horrible! I can't figure out how this happened. I loved him so much. " Soon, 4 more workers fell victim to an inexplicable "illness". Two of them lost their hair and developed a severe nervous breakdown.
The company's management was very concerned about the deteriorating health of the employees and brought in local physician Ian Anderson for a medical examination. He failed to identify the source of the strange "infection", but after a conversation with Young, in which he again could not restrain himself and showed remarkable knowledge in the field of toxicology, Anderson's bewilderment grew into suspicion. He consulted with the administration, who called the staff of Scotland Yard. Police interrogated all of the employees thoroughly, and experts from the government research laboratory examined the analyzes of sick employees.
Doctors determined thallium was the cause of death and illness.
Young was arrested at his father's house, and when he was taken away, he insolently asked: "For which of them I was arrested?"
But at the trial, Young declared that he was innocent, despite a vial of thallium found in his jacket pocket and a list of employees found in his bedroom. The list became evidence, as two of the list had already died, and the rest were in serious condition.
However, Young couldn't resist the urge to brag. He spoke in detail about his first crime - the murder of his stepmother and explained why he hounded his colleagues: “It seems to me that I stopped seeing people like me in them. For me they became guinea pigs."
Senior Officer Harvey, who was charged with investigating the Graham Young case, warned that he could face life in prison for such a confession. To which Graeme replied: "You still have to prove my guilt." At the trial, he intended to withdraw his confessions made during the preliminary investigation.
On December 3, Graeme Frederick Young was charged with the murder of Egle based on an examination of the ashes from an urn containing his ashes. Traces of thallium were found in the ashes. Young pleaded not guilty. He was also charged with the murder of Fred Bitts and attempted murder of two others, as well as the use of poison against two other employees.
In prison, Young asked the guards if Madame Tussaud's wax museum was going to replenish its exposition by exhibiting his sculpture next to his favorite heroes - Hitler and the poisoner Palmer. He threatened to commit suicide if found guilty and promised to do so in the dock. But nothing of the kind happened.
The court, after considering all the evidence and hearing witnesses, found him guilty on all charges. After a short conversation with his family, he was taken into custody, and in July 1972 his life sentence began.
God's judgment
Young was not sent back to Broadmore, but driven first to Wormwood Scrubs and then to a closed mental hospital in Park Lane, near Liverpool. He spent two years in it, and the doctors realized that he had not got rid of obsessions.
1990 - They discovered that Young had grown a poisonous mushroom in a prison yard and mixed it with his feces to prepare a deadly poison.
Graham Young was transferred to the maximum security prison at Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight and was found dead in his cell on 2 August 1990.
Initially, the administration considered that he had poisoned himself with one of the poisons, but an autopsy showed that he died of a heart attack.
Few mourned for Young.
His sister Winifred cried a little, however, noticing that the late brother really lacked public recognition and fame, but with his crimes he definitely achieved this. She also said that in life, Graham was rejected and alone by everyone.
When she suggested that he brighten up his loneliness by visiting a club or dancing, he replied: “This will not help me at all. I'm scared. You see, I have ice inside …"
N. Blundell