Miner found buried in field was unlawfully killed

A miner whose skeleton was found buried on farmland more than 50 years after his disappearance was unlawfully killed, a coroner has concluded.

An investigation was launched after the remains of Alfred Swinscoe were found in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire on 26 April 2023.

Inquiries identified two murder suspects but these have not been publicly named by police.

At the end of Mr Swinscoe's inquest, coroner Nathanael Hartley found the cause of death was "multiple traumatic injuries".

He said Mr Swinscoe had suffered a "sustained attack" and had injuries in multiple areas, including to his neck.

However, Mr Hartley said it had not been possible to establish the exact timing and location of Mr Swinscoe's death.

He said the last "reliable sighting" of Mr Swinscoe was at his workplace on 20 January 1967.

Family members had also recalled Mr Swinscoe last being seen at a pub early in 1967, the inquest heard, but they were not sure exactly when this was.

Giving evidence at the inquest, Det Ch Insp Ruby Burrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said the investigation began when a member of the public found Mr Swinscoe's remains in a field, off Coxmoor Road.

Photographs were taken, she said, and these were sent to a scientist to determine if they were human or animal bones.

Police then put out a press release in order to try to establish the identity of the deceased.

The inquest heard a man called Russell Lowbridge then came forward and said he believed the dead man might be his missing grandfather.

Mr Lowbridge initially gave police a DNA sample, then one of Mr Swinscoe's sons also gave a DNA sample, which confirmed the identity of the remains.

Det Ch Insp Burrow said Mr Swinscoe was a miner from the Pinxton area of Derbyshire, and he is believed to have been born on 3 September 1912.

She said police had spoken to "a large number of people", including family members.

She said the findings of an archaeologist indicated he had initially been buried in another grave, before being dug up and moved to where his remains were eventually found.

This was based on some soil found within the grave, she said, but the location of the primary grave has not been identified.

According to the post-mortem examination report, Mr Swinscoe had multiple injuries inflicted with a "bladed instrument".

The forensic pathologist, Dr Stuart Hamilton, said the most serious were to his neck.

Det Ch Insp Burrow said the investigation had been more difficult due to the passage of time.

"If an investigation like this happened today, we would have more opportunities," she said.

"We've tried to approach lots of people and unfortunately lots of people have passed away from the time.

"If they haven't passed away, they have not been in the best of health."

Mr Lowbridge and his brother, Jason Lowbridge, both attended the inquest and were asked if they wanted to say anything about their grandfather.

Russell Lowbridge said: "I just can't understand why anybody would want to do it to him.

"He was such a nice man and didn't bother anybody, and from what you've told us, it was a wicked murder.

"This was a horrendous death he went through and nobody deserves that kind of death, let alone Alfred."

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