Brian Crowther

Posted: January 11th, 2021

BRlAN CROWTHER, former Daily Mirror crime reporter, died on January 9 [2021], aged 87. He is pictured, far right, with his brother Gerry, who was himself a Mirror staff photographer.

Brian started his career, aged 14, as messenger on the Daily Mail in Manchester. With the help of a Mail reporter, Brian obtained a job on the Eccles and Patricroft Journal, and began learning his craft on the rounds of visits to the police, fire and ambulance services.

From there he moved to the Doncaster Evening Telegraph, and later joined the Yorkshire Evening Post. Brian moved back to Manchester to join the Stuart and Hartley news agency, covering the Courts, where he acquired good contacts in the police and the legal world. Besides his day job, Brian would do numerous late shifts for the Daily Mirror, and he was later appointed to the staff. He eventually became their crime reporter.

Brian was noted for his excellent shorthand, but also for being able to come out of Court, pick up a phone and dictate his story without needing his note book. He reported the trials of Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Doctor Harold Shipman, and the Moors murderers lan Brady and Myra Hindley. Besides reporting crime, he spent time in Belfast during the Troubles.

Brian broke a lot of world-exclusive crime stories for the Daily Mirror and was also an excellent all-round reporter. He had an amazing contacts book.

Brian’s brother Gerry said: “Brian received countless requests from fellow journalists and authors for background information in relation to the many trials he covered.

“For relaxation, Brian played golf to a handicap of 4. I have managed to find a photo of Brian (far right) and myself on one of the rare occasions we worked together on an assignment during our days at the Mirror. It was probably taken around 1990.”