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The Pottery Cottage Murders

The terrifying true story of an escaped prisoner and the family he held hostage

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The Pottery Cottage Murders

By: Carol Anne Lee, Peter Howse
Narrated by: John Telfer
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Includes an exclusive interview with Peter Howse and Carol Ann Lee

A psychopathic criminal on the run from prison. A family of five held hostage in their home. A frantic police manhunt across the snowbound Derbyshire moors. Just one survivor.


The definitive account of the terrifying 1977 Pottery Cottage murders that shocked Britain.

For three days, escaped prisoner Billy Hughes played macabre psychological games with Gill Moran and her family, keeping them in separate rooms of their home while secretly murdering them one by one. On several occasions Hughes ordered Gill and her husband Richard to leave the house for provisions, confident that they would return without betraying him in order to protect their loved ones.

Blizzards hampered the desperate police search, but they learned where the dangerous convict was hiding and closed in on the cottage. A high-speed car chase on icy roads ended with a crash and the killer being shot as he swung a newly sharpened axe at his final victim. This was Britain's first instance of police officers committing 'justifiable homicide' against an escapee.

The story of these terrible events is told here by Carol Ann Lee and Peter Howse, the former chief inspector who saved Gill Moran's life over forty years ago.

Peter's professional role has permitted access to witness statements, crime scene photographs and police reports. Peter Howse and Carol Ann Lee have made use of these, along with fresh interviews with many of those directly involved, to tell a fast-paced and truly shocking story with great insight and empathy.©2020 Carol Ann Lee & Peter Howse Abductions, Kidnapping & Missing Persons Crime Murder True Crime Disappearance Exciting Scary Emotionally Gripping
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Critic reviews

Praise for Carol Anne Lee's The Murders at White House Farm:

Carol Ann Lee has written a true account.
Praise for Carol Anne Lee's The Murders at White House Farm:
The definitive account.
Praise for Carol Ann Lee's Roses from the Earth: The Biography of Anne Frank:
Excellent . . . serious, sensitive and scrupulous.
Praise for Carol Ann Lee's The Hidden Life of Otto Frank:

Significant and fascinating. An absorbing biography of Anne's father.
Praise for Carol Ann Lee's novel The Winter of the World:

This brilliant story . . . resounds with truth. A novelist who writes of the subtlety of souls.
Praise for Carol Anne Lee's One of Your Own: The Life & Death of Myra Hindley:

Brilliant . . . like In Cold Blood.
Praise for Carol Anne Lee's A Fine Day For A Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story:

A forensically researched book that casts a haunting new light on the last woman to be hanged in Britain.
Praise for Carol Anne Lee's A Fine Day For A Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story:

Worthy of Truman Capote . . . the finest account of awaiting execution that I have ever read.
All stars
Most relevant
Such an interesting story, really well researched and everybody's story who very involved told. I can't imagine what they all went through and what went through in Billy's head when he did all those things he did...

Gruesome

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This had me captured from the first chapter.
A terrible true story with the loss of four innocent lives. Even the last hour listening to Carol Ann Lee talking to Peter Howse had my 100% attention.

Brilliant

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A tale of an heroically brave family and a disturbed man who never got the.help.he needed.
I grew up.in this. area but was not familiar with this case

Disturbing

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As an ex 30 year cop from Cheshire I've driven along through Rainow past the scene of the final shooting many times in '96/97 on duty as a dog handler little knowing the fateful events of 20yrs earlier, I've always been interested in the Pottery Cottage Incident as my Sergeant was a young female constable at the time & had been assigned to look after Gill Moran in Macclesfield Hospital after being rescued.
This audio book is well written and narrated and my hat goes off to the authors, they have struck exactly the right balance and present a compelling true story. I've said disturbing also as a tale of such horror will always make disturbing reading. Please read it especially if you're involved in the justice system as a police/prison/court worker etc it shows complacency especially in the searching of remand prisoners.
To the ordinary reader its a fascinating read of the people of the Derbyshire peaks being caught up with a ruthless, violent, unpredictable & cunning career criminal.

A compelling & disturbing read

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I wouldn’t normally read true crime books but this was enthralling. This poor family. Fantastic.

Excellent and gripping throughout.

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