New details have emerged about the case of a gunman who shot and killed a Newcastle man more than a century ago, after a true crime podcast was featured there.
On September 10th, 1896, George Ewart, aged 64, shot and killed Daniel Gray, aged 42, in broad daylight. Ewart approached Daniel on the corner of Dalton Street, Byker, and shot him at close range with a revolver. Daniel died from his wounds later that day, and George was tried for murder.
But now George's great-great-grandson, historian David Olusoga, has worked with the Findmypast subscription service, which gives access to some of the world's most renowned historical databases, to reveal new details of his relative's story and insights into the early recognition of mental health as a contributing factor in serious crime.
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According to David's findings, the story began tragically ten years ago, when George was violently assaulted by Daniel over a trivial misunderstanding, resulting in the loss of his eyesight, his means of earning a living and his ability to provide for his family. As a result, George's mental health gradually deteriorated over the next ten years, leading to an obsession with revenge against Daniel.
And now the case is the subject of Findmypast's new podcast series, “Was Justice Served?” The podcast puts a fresh twist on the true crime documentary format: by providing free access to each crime's case file – a set of historical records detailing the events as they happened – listeners can act as jurors and decide for themselves whether justice was served.
In the first episode, available to watch in full now, David Olusoga and co-hosts Professor David Wilson, criminologist, and Jen Baldwin, professional genealogist from Findmypast, walk listeners through the evidence before asking them to judge for themselves: has justice been served?
The remaining episodes of the podcast will be released weekly following the premiere episode on Wednesday, June 19th, and will explore four fascinating crimes from history, with some major twists and turns along the way.
Crimes featured include a double poisoning in a gardener's home at the height of the Victorian “poison panic”, a young woman brutally murdered to cover up an affair, a 50-year-old woman found dead, unmarked, in her bedroom, and a gentleman killed by accident with a shotgun whilst hunting in Scotland.
Season 1 Episode List:
Episode 1: Murder in the Family, with David Olusoga (Pilot) Episode 2: The Camberley Poisonings Episode 3: Murder at Peasonhole Episode 4: Sudden Death in Southend Episode 5: Shotguns and Scandals at Adlermont
Past newspapers made available to listeners detailing the crime, aftermath events and the ups and downs of the trial will be collated into “case files” using Findmypast's new collections feature, giving listeners a detailed look at how the case unfolded and are available for free at www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved. Aspiring jurors and detectives can share their own verdicts on social media using the hashtag #wasjusticeserved.
'Was Justice Served?' is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. For more information visit www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved
