An 11-year-old girl from Newcastle was convicted of manslaughter in 1968 after killing Martin Brown, four, and Brian Howe, three, and leaving disturbing notes at a nursery confessing to the murders
Emilia Randall GAU Writer
08:00, 10 Jan 2026
An 11 year old girl who endured horrific abuse during her childhood posed a "grave risk to other children" following the killings of a three year old and a four year old, with one toddler's body abandoned on waste ground.
In a deeply disturbing case, 10 year old Mary from Newcastle deceived her victims by claiming they had sore throats and offering massages before strangling them to death. Prior to facing trial, the young girl received a diagnosis of psychopathy.
Warning signs of Mary's capacity for such heinous acts emerged early in her troubled childhood. An unwanted and neglected child, Mary's father remained unknown whilst her mother worked as a sex worker, reportedly shouting "take the thing away from me!" upon being presented with her new-born daughter in hospital.
Mary Flora Bell received a life detention sentence at Newcastle upon Tyne Assizes in 1968, though the jury determined she was not guilty of murder, instead imprisoning her for manslaughter. Norma Joyce Bell, aged 13, who was unrelated but resided next door to Mary in Scotswood, was acquitted of both murder and manslaughter charges.
Both girls had denied all charges against them. Mary, along with her mother and grandmother, broke down in tears following the jury's verdict, reports the Mirror.
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Delivering the sentence, Mr Justice Cusack branded Mary as "dangerous" and warned of "a very grave risk to other children if she is not closely watched."
Four year old Martin Brown was discovered dead with his arms stretched above his head in a derelict property on 25 May. Two months later, three year old Brian Howe, who resided on the same street as Mary and Norma, was found on wasteland close to his home, the BBC reported.
Her mother Betty worked as a dominatrix, and allegations emerged that she restrained Mary and subjected her to sexual abuse during her work. On another occasion, she put her daughter up for adoption, and it was further alleged she administered sleeping pills to her and dropped her from a first-floor window.
Mary was a persistent bed wetter and would frequently strangle classmates, and on one occasion blocked a girl's throat with sand. Allegations surfaced that Mary had pushed a boy from an air raid shelter and had tried to strangle three girls.
In a statement, Norma recounted Mary asking: "What happens if you choke someone; do they die?' Then Mary put both hands 'round the girl's throat and squeezed. The girl started to go purple. I told Mary to stop, but she wouldn't. Then she put her hands around Pauline's throat and she started going purple as well ... another girl, Susan Cornish, came up and Mary did the same thing to her."
Mary and Norma then broke into a nursery, leaving notes on a blackboard confessing to the murder. They overturned tables and smeared ink on walls, with the chilling messages reading: "I murder SO That I may come back. WE did murder martain brown f*** of you bastard. Fuch off we murder. Watch out Fanny and F*****. You are mice Y Becurse we murdered Martain Go Brown you Bete Look out THERE are Murders about By Fanny and auld F***** you Screws."
Two days later, on 29 May, before Martin's funeral, they knocked on his mother's door asking if they could play with him, before coldly stating "oh, I know he's dead; I want to see him in his coffin."
In July, little Brian was last seen playing with Mary, Norma and his dog. His lifeless body was later found barely hidden by weeds and grass, with a pair of broken scissors lying nearby.
Disturbingly, a feeble attempt had been made to carve the letter 'M' onto his stomach.
Despite initial questioning by the police, Mary and Norma managed to avoid their fate. However, a coroner's report concluded that Brian's murder had been committed by a child.
In her statement, Mary alleged she had seen an eight year old boy assaulting Brian on the afternoon of 31 July. She claimed she saw Brian with a small pair of scissors, stating "I saw him trying to cut a cat's tail off with the scissors, but there was something wrong with them-one leg was broken or bent."
Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) James Dobson deduced that Mary was the killer, as only the police were aware of the broken scissors found at the crime scene.
Subsequently, several eyewitnesses refuted any sightings of an eight year old boy. Dr David Westbury, a Home Office psychiatrist, informed the jury that Mary had a psychopathic disorder within the definition of the Mental Health Act. When asked by the judge if he knew of a suitable place for her, he responded, "No".
Upon being questioned by Mr Harvey Robson for Mary, Dr Westbury suggested her treatment should last "some years".
The Judge expressed: "It is a most unhappy thing that in all the resources of this country it appears there is no hospital available which is suitable for the accommodation of this girl."
Dr Westbury proposed that the health department of the Ministry of Social Security should manage the case, but the department stated it requires " time to consider what they are to do and no specific time is indicated."
He continued: "It is an appalling thing that with a child as young as this one, one has to take into consideration such matters. I am not entirely unsympathetic but anxious as I am to do everything for her benefit, my primary duty is to protect other people. There is a very grave risk to other children if she is not closely watched and every conceivable step taken to see that she doesn't do again what she has been found guilty of. In the case of a child of this age, no question of imprisonment arises. I have power to order a sentence of detention and it seems to me that no other method of dealing with her in the circumstances is suitable."
Speaking directly to Norma, the Judge expressed his hope "that nobody will attempt to discuss the matter with her. It seems to be in the interests of this child that the matters we have had to deal with should be put behind her".
In 1972, whilst Mary was detained at the Red Bank approved school in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, BBC Midweek reported that being the sole girl amongst 23 boys, she found herself embroiled in a sex and pornography controversy. By November 1973, she was transferred to the "secure" facility at Styal, Cheshire - with all requests for parole being turned down, as reported by the Guardian.
In 1977, she made a brief escape from prison with Annette Priest, a 21 year old sex worker jailed for theft from clients. The duo were recaptured within days.
Mary gained her freedom in May 1980, aged 23. She received a fresh identity and protection after becoming a mother to a daughter.
Their anonymity was set to expire when Bell's daughter, with whom she resides, reached 18. However, a temporary order was issued whilst legal proceedings continued.
The sibling of four year old victim Martin Brown argues Bell forfeited her right to anonymity through publishing her biography Cries Unheard, for which she received £50,000.
Yet Inspector John Reynolds of Staffordshire police countered in 2003, stating: "There is no organised search. The Home Office is quite happy that Mary Bell is not dangerous. Bell killed some smaller children when she was 11 years old. Now she is 20 and prison authorities say she is not the slightest bit dangerous."