The Arrest of Crowley for

Possession of Stolen Letters

21 June 1934

In 1932 the author Nina Hamnett published a book entitled Laughing Torso. In it, she recounted several anecdotes about Crowley including a reference to him having "practised that loathsome thing known as Black Magic." Crowley considered himself to have been libeled by her and sought an injunction to cease production of the book.

On 10-13 April 1934 the libel suit was held in the High Court of Justice, King's Bench Division, before Mr. Justice Swift and a Special Jury. On the third day the jury stopped the case, with the foreman saying they were unanimous in finding a verdict for the defendants. Judgment was thereupon against Crowley and given for the defendants, with costs. Crowley would later appeal the decision in this trial on 6-8 November 1934.

As a result of personal correspondence produced as evidence by Crowley, he was arrested on 21 June 1934 and later forced to stand trial on 24-25 July 1934 for being in possession of stolen property, namely five letters belonging to Betty May, a witness in the Crowley v Constable proceedings.