Sydney Fox a 31 year old petty criminal and his mother Rosaline, moved from hotel to hotel in the Kent area living off stolen cheques. In 1927 he was having an affair with a married woman, he insured her for £6,000. He attempted to gas her, but failed and was subsequently jailed for 15 months.
In April 1929 he insured his mother against accidental death, the policy was due to expire at midnight on 23rd October. That night while staying at the Metrople hotel in Margate, Kent, he ordered a bottle of port to help his mother sleep. At 11:40pm that night he rushed down the hotel corridor, shouting "My mummy is trapped", help came to late to save his mother from the fierce blaze in room 66. After he buried her he claimed on the insurance, but the insurance company investigated and discovered that the fire had spread in an unlikely way. They suspected arson, the body was exhumed and pathologist Sir. Bernard Spilsbury discovered that she had been strangled.
At his trial on 20th March 1930, an important piece of evidence was a bottle of petrol found in the room, Fox claimed it was used to clean his suit. He was found guilty and was hanged at Maidstone prison on 8th April 1930.
