Mug’s game as justice caught up with city’s Victorian crooks

THEY are the Victorian women criminals handed jail time for petty crimes – including stealing spoons and a comb.

West Midlands Police Museum has released some of the earliest mugshots of women who were arrested for stealing.

One of those pictured is 16-yearold Kate Allen who was arrested and jailed for 14 days for stealing a comb back in 1904.

Jessie Malpass was also arrested for stealing spoons in 1904, but she was luckier than Kate as her sentence was suspended due to a ‘‘lack of evidence’’.

Jessie has two mugshots that show her with and without her hat.

Mary Adey and Mary Brown are also featured, both arrested for stealing money and jailed for their crimes in 1898.

Helen Taylor, manager at West

Midlands Police Museum, said: “Police in Birmingham were the first in the country to start taking mugshots of offenders with the first criminal photographed in 1853. Our collection at the museum features many mugshots dating from the 1850s through to the 1930s. They capture men, women and children while listing details of their crimes and punishment given.

“Looking back with modern eyes it’s easy to see some of the sentences given as harsh – Kate Allen was just 16 when she was arrested and sentenced to 14 days for stealing a comb.

“The mugshots of Mary Adey and Mary Brown, both arrested for stealing money, look different to the standard mugshots.

“Non-standard mugshots like these are often indicators that the detainee refused to be photographed.

“We know from records that there was a hidden camera for such a purpose at the Lock-up in Steelhouse Lane.”

The West Midlands Police Museum is in the process of relocating from Sparkhill Police Station to the Birmingham Central Lock-up in Steelhouse Lane.

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