The last execution in the UK took place on 13 August 1964, when two men were hanged simultaneously in different prisons.

Quick Scoop

The basic answer

  • The last judicial executions in the UK happened on 13 August 1964.
  • Two men were executed by hanging: Peter Anthony Allen at Walton Prison in Liverpool and Gwynne Owen Evans at Strangeways Prison in Manchester.
  • They were convicted of the murder of John Alan West earlier that year.

A brief bit of story

In April 1964, a 53‑year‑old laundry van driver named John Alan West was killed during a robbery at his home in Cumbria.

Two men, Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans, were arrested, tried, and sentenced to death for his murder.

On the morning of 13 August 1964, each was led to the gallows in his respective prison and hanged at 8:00 am, in what turned out to be the final executions carried out under UK law.

Public and political opinion had already been turning against capital punishment, and within about 15 months, the death penalty for murder was abolished in the UK.

Key facts at a glance

  • Date: 13 August 1964.
  • Method: Hanging.
  • Prisoners: Peter Anthony Allen and Gwynne Owen Evans.
  • Locations: Walton Prison (Liverpool) and Strangeways Prison (Manchester).
  • Victim in the underlying case: John Alan West.

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