News of the Times - Unlocking the vaults of historical crime

Pushed to Her Death: Murder on London Bridge

Robin Coles Season 1 Episode 529

Pushed to Her Death:  Murder on London Bridge
News of the Times | Episode 529 | 1872
London, 1871. A woman lies crushed beneath a brewer’s dray on one of the city’s busiest bridges. Her final words? “My husband pushed me.”

In this chilling Victorian case, we follow the tragic final hours of Ann Pettingell, a wife abandoned, threatened, and ultimately killed — or so she claimed. Was her death an accident in the chaos of London Bridge, or the final act of a brutal campaign of neglect and intimidation?

👀 Inside this gripping episode:
A dying declaration that names her killer
Witnesses who saw the fatal shove
A husband who fled the scene — and resumed life with his mistress

A court trial that wrestles with intent, justice… and the role of women under Victorian law

And in our closing segment:
🥴 A drunken brawl in Mitcham, featuring shattered masonry, bruised shins, and one man’s philosophical stand against personal responsibility.

☕️ So brew a strong pot of tea, grab your notebook (or hobnobs), and join us for another unforgettable journey into the dark heart of 19th-century justice.
👤 Narrated by Robin Coles 

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 

📚 Related cases from the archive: 
1872: The Bermondsey Tragedy |  Ep212
https://youtu.be/R5Xo4gsu4Ig
1872: The Murder at Great Coram Stree |  Ep224
https://youtu.be/lXJWjOTjNM8
1872: The Mysterious Case of Ellen Kittel  |  EP271
https://youtu.be/ASRK4yD3pc0
1872: The Cropton Murders |  Ep277
https://youtu.be/TcWn9EDXebg

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We’re an independent team of historical researchers and narrators specialising in 18th to early 20th century British true crime. Each episode is based entirely on archival material — from coroners’ inquests to forgotten newspaper columns.  

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