Hammersmith Ghost Mistaken-Identity Murder

In 1803 and early 1804, residents of Hammersmith in west London panicked over reports of a ghost haunting the churchyard, so armed volunteers started night patrols to catch the supposed spirit. On the night of January 3, 1804, excise officer Francis Smith was on patrol when he saw bricklayer Thomas Millwood walking in white work clothes and, believing he had confronted the Hammersmith Ghost, shot him dead.

Authorities arrested Smith, and at his Old Bailey trial, he argued that he genuinely thought he was firing at a ghost, not a man. The court still convicted him of murder, but the case went on to become a key reference point in English criminal law for how far a mistaken belief can operate as a defense when someone kills.

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