James Henry Corbitt was born on 20 October 1913 in Oldham, England. At the time of the murder, he was separated from his wife and 11-year-old son and was involved in a relationship with his mistress, Eliza Woods. Corbitt was a regular patron at the "Help The Poor Struggler" pub in Hollinwood, Oldham, owned by Albert Pierrepoint, Britain's chief executioner. The two men were acquaintances, often singing together in the pub, referring to each other by the nicknames "Tish" and "Tosh" .​

In August 1950, Corbitt murdered his mistress, Eliza Woods, in a hotel room in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. He strangled her in a fit of jealousy. Her body was discovered the next morning with the word "whore" written on her forehead. Corbitt was arrested shortly thereafter and confessed to the crime. During his trial at Liverpool Assizes, he pleaded guilty but insane. However, the Crown presented diary entries indicating that Corbitt had been contemplating the murder for some time, suggesting premeditation. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by Mr. Justice Lynskey .​

On 28 November 1950, Corbitt was executed by hanging at Strangeways Prison in Manchester. The execution was carried out by Albert Pierrepoint, who was unaware until the eve of the execution that the condemned man was his pub acquaintance "Tish." Upon realizing this, Pierrepoint honored Corbitt's request to be greeted as usual on the morning of the execution, saying, "Hello Tish, how are you?" Corbitt reportedly smiled and approached the gallows calmly. Pierrepoint later reflected on the execution, noting that despite Corbitt's familiarity with the consequences of murder and his personal connection to the executioner, the crime still occurred, leading Pierrepoint to question the deterrent effect of capital punishment .​