Glen Sabre Valance

Glen Valance
Born 11 February 1943
Died 24 November 1964(1964-11-24) (aged 21)
Adelaide Gaol, Thebarton, South Australia
Other names Graham Paul Fraser
Occupation Station Hand
Criminal charge Murder
Criminal penalty Death
Criminal status Executed by hanging
Conviction(s) Murder

Glen Sabre Valance, age 21, was hanged in Adelaide Gaol for the murder of Richard Strang. He was the last man executed in South Australia, on 24 November 1964. Born Graham Paul Fraser,[1] he changed his name as a teenager, to Glen Sabre Valance, after Liberty Valance, the title character of a 1962 western film.[2]

Crime

In the early hours of 16 June 1964, Valance tied up three station hands at the Koonroon property near Bordertown, South Australia then entered the bedroom of Richard and Suzanne Strang. Valance shot and killed Richard as he slept and then raped his wife. Valance escaped by car and drove towards Adelaide. Suzanne called the police and Valance was captured at a road block near Murray Bridge. The rifle was in the car with him.

Trial and execution

Dates of last executions & abolition

Valance claimed he had a grievance with Richard Strang: he once worked for Strang, but was sacked after being accused of theft. Strang had legal proceedings against Valance accusing him of theft, while Valance claimed Strang had owed him money and refused to pay, further blaming Strang for having his car repossessed.

Valance pleaded insanity, but was found guilty and sentenced to death by South Australian state Chief Justice Sir Mellis Napier on 17 September 1964. The Supreme Court of South Australia dismissed his appeal on 9 October and a further application to the High Court of Australia for leave to appeal was rejected on 9 November. The death sentence was carried out on 24 November 1964.[3]

Valance was the last man executed in South Australia, and the second to last in Australia[4]; the last was Ronald Ryan, who was executed in Victoria on 3 February 1967.

See also

  • Hanged: Executions in Australia, Main, J..
  • A Tormented Soul, Lillian Clavell. ISBN 1-921829-74-5

References

  1. ↑ "Newspix Home Page". www.newspix.com.au. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  2. ↑ "Messenger Local News | Messenger Newspapers Adelaide | Adelaide Local News and Community News SA | The Advertiser". portside-messenger.whereilive.com.au. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  3. ↑ "Killer was abused - People - News - Portside Messenger". 15 April 2011. Archived from the original on 15 April 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  4. ↑ "Adelaide Gaol | SA History Hub". sahistoryhub.com.au. Retrieved 2017-09-22.


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