Member-only story
Murder in an English Village
I was initially aware of this story as a kid from my parents. I grew up not too far away from Ughill and I remember when we would drive past, my dad would always comment “that's where that bloke killed the babysitter”. That was not what happened, but the local gossips always had a theory about the events.
I will begin my story in the beautiful and quiet hamlet of Ughill near Bradfield. Ughill is located on the outskirts of Sheffield and close to the Peak District National Park. It is a small, rural, farming community with only a handful of houses.
During the 1980s, a seemingly successful solicitor called Ian Wood and his French lover, Danielle Lloyd (née Ledez) were renting an 18-bedroom mansion in Ughill called Ughill Hall. Mr Wood appeared on the outside to be a staple of success. He was 37 years of age, privately educated, had established a successful legal practice, was secretary of the Sheffield branch of the Law Society and clerk of the local tax commission. Mr Wood was quite the playboy and regularly entertained guests, hosting parties and would buy lavish jewellery for Ms Ledez.
Wood had left his wife Margaret and his three children for Ms Ledez, who already had two children of her own. The four of them were all living at Ughill Hall. Danielle Ledez was born in Amiens, France. I could not find much more information on her, other than…
