The quiet village of Tetsworth, near Thame, was rocked by the discovery of a body in a ditch in July, 1958, writes Emily Dugan.

Farmworker Alfred Peasley, 57, found the body while on his way to work and alerted police. It was that of a woman, about 20 and of West Indian origin.

In 1958, there were no black residents in Tetsworth.

Villagers couldn't understand what connected the woman to their village, but Mr Palmer, manager of the Swan Hotel, told the Oxford Mail that a party of black people had visited the previous night.

Mrs Folley, who lived opposite the Swan Hotel, described how during the night she had heard suspicious noises.

She said: "I couldn't go to sleep because my leg was troubling me. Just before 1am, I heard my dog howling. Then I heard somebody screaming."

Members of the Oxfordshire Constabulary were called in to investigate. Among them was Pc Harry Hewitt, who was by then a fingerprint officer.

The police team quickly established, by means of a pay packet found near the body, that the victim was Rebertha (also known as Corretha) Blidgen and she was from Jamaica, although she had been living in London.

Pathologist Dr Albert Hunt, from Bristol University, confirmed that the victim had been more than 21 weeks' pregnant and that death was caused by an attempted abortion.

As a result of police inquiries, Det Insp FJ Pettit, of Oxfordshire Police, arrested two West Indian men and one French woman, all from London.

Edward Crichlow, 40, and Anna Maurer, 30, who were living together as husband and wife, and Fitzroy Collins, 48, were charged with being concerned in the manslaughter of Corretha Blidgen.

Collins was president of the African League, of which Miss Blidgen was minutes secretary.

She had been seen leaving her lodgings in London carrying a suitcase and accompanied by Collins.

The suitcase was found near her body.

Collins had taken Miss Blidgen to Ms Maurer for an abortion.

When she died, Collins said he had wanted to tell the police straightaway, but Ms Maurer suggested they dump the body in the country. Collins went to the police when his daughter showed him a newspaper report which mentioned a red Vauxhall car, exactly like one he owned.

Maurer reportedly told police: "It was terrible, we didn't want her to die." She denied responsibility for the botched abortion.

After a trial at the Old Bailey, the three were sentenced in October 1958 for conspiring to produce the miscarriage of Miss Blidgen.

Collins was jailed for six months and Crichlow and Maurer for nine months.

The court accepted not guilty pleas of all three to unlawful killing.