Torment by Philip Levene

Ralph Ellinger, a tormented 22-year-old Cambridge law student, walks into the local police station in the small town of Wintersleigh, confessing to Inspector Hadley of CID that he murdered a girl.

 

Ralph tells the Inspector the murder happened the previous June, on the 27th, almost a year ago. He had come down to Wintersleigh from Cambridge for the summer vac and when he got home, the house was empty as his father was abroad on holiday with his stepmother. He was a bit depressed so he drove into Norwich for the evening, took in a film then, on the way back, picked up this girl who waved him down just after 10 pm. She was a young Irish girl in her early 20s with red hair and green eyes by the name of Peggy. She had been hitchhiking from Liverpool, after coming over from Northern Ireland, to work for the summer at the Queens Hotel in Yarmouth. Though Yarmouth was a little out of his way, he told her he'd give her a lift. They stopped off for a drink at a pub called the Three Crowns and got quite friendly. After they left the pub, they chatted a bit and when they were a few miles from Yarmouth, he stopped the car and she let him kiss her. Then, though he couldn't explain it, he had his arms around her and couldn't let her go. She became frightened and started to struggle and the next thing he remembered was his hands around her throat and his fingers tightening. He knew what he was doing but for some reason he couldn't stop. Suddenly, she was quite still and he knew she was dead.

 

He must have sat there for about an hour before he drove up to the other side of Wintersleigh and threw her body over the cliffs. He read the newspapers like a hawk the following days but there wasn't a word about her. At first, he tried to push it to the back of his mind and pretend it didn't happen - that it was a bad dream, but there's no doubt in his mind, he killed that girl. For a time he thought he could live with it but now he can't sleep or work and it has become unbearable - the girl's face never leaves him.

 

An open and shut case? The police soon become sceptical of Ralph's story thinking it's some sort of practical joke when Ralph can't corroborate any of his story with evidence. After an exhaustive search, the police find no trace of the girl and have no reason to believe she ever existed.....

 

 

Cast:

 

Ruth Ellinger.......Barbara Bolton

Flora.......Priscilla Benson

Daphne.......Patricia Cree

Brenda.......Patricia Bendall

Ralph Ellinger.......Barry Foster

Sgt Lumsden.......Peter Claughton

Constable Barclay.......Michael Spice

Inspector Hadley.......Philip Morant

Frank Ellinger.......Rolf Lefebvre

Carol Sanford.......Dorit Welles

Publican.......Arthur Gomez

Mr Carstairs.......Will Leighton

Mr Denton.......Godfrey Kenton

Dr Rooney.......Derek Bond

David.......Terry Raven

Pete.......Jeremy Ranchev

Mr Ryder.......Will Leighton

Mr Preedy.......Peter Claughton

 

Produced by Robin Midgley

 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArrWZcg2lV80kg8ZbfAd6qOEU_2c?e=SyMDp8

From an off-air recording made in 1962

 

 

You need to be a member of Times Past to add comments!

Join Times Past

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • Thanks, I know I will enjoy.

  • Looking forward...  Thanks!!

  • Thank you

  • Thank You

  • Thanks for sharing.

This reply was deleted.