On This Day, 21 March 1918

Birmingham Mail

Thursday 21 March 1918

A WIFE’S CONFESSION

SAD CASE AT BIRMINGHAM ASSIZES.

HUSBAND CHARGED WITH WOUNDING

In the Crown Court of the Birmingham Assizes to-day, before Mr. Justice Lawrence. Leonard Dunford (23), sheet-metal worker, pleaded not guilty to a charge of wounding Frederick Norris, a tram-driver, with intent to him grievous bodily harm.

Mr. Norman Birkett, for the prosecution, explained that shortly after ten o’clock on March 6 prisoner and two soldiers were obstructing persons boarding cars in Navigation Street. They were remonstrated with by Inspector Matthews and the driver, Norris. Dunford walked short distance away, but returned, and struck Norris with razor, inflicting serious wounds on the head.

Mr. Norris Foster, who represented prisoner, pleaded that the man committed the assault on the spur of the moment when very drunk.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty and recommended the accused to mercy on account of his previous good character. Sentence of three months’ hard labour was imposed.

“I GOT WHAT I DESERVED”

“A case of a sad nature in which a wife had been unfaithful to the man who had gone to fight for his country” was the description given by counsel to the circumstances connected with a charge against Richard Burgess (44), labourer, of wounding his wife, Elizabeth, on October 21, with intent to murder her. Prisoner, who was in khaki, pleaded not guilty.

The parties, said Mr. Grierson, for the prosecution, lived happily together for some years. In  September, 1914, prisoner joined the Army, and subsequently left for Egypt. The wife went to live at Shirley, and carried on an intrigue with another man. As a result her Army allowance was stopped. Prisoner returned to this country in September, 1917, There was a reconciliation between the parties, and they stayed together for some time. Subsequently the man was informed that the woman had broken her word to have nothing to do with the man who had been the cause of the trouble. Whilst Burgess and his wife were returning from Northfield prisoner put his arms round her neck and kissed her. She felt a smarting sensation, and on putting her hand to her throat found it was covered with blood. Prisoner also cut his own throat, and the parties were taken in an ambulance to the hospital together.

Prisoner’s wife described the occurrence on October 21. She thought he lost his temper in a quarrel which they had about a photograph of himself, which he refused to give to her. Witness added, “I don’t wish to prosecute; what I got I deserved. I don’t with him be punished, as it is entirely my own fault.”

For the defence Mr. Norris Foster contended that prisoner committed the offence during a frenzy caused by taking drink which affected his mind, as he had suffered from sunstroke while serving in Egypt.

His Lordship, in summing up, expressed regret that misconduct on the part of wives while their husbands were serving their country had become so frequent. It was a perfect scandal that the women of England should go pleasure-seeking, drinking, or misbehaving themselves in the way Mrs. Burgees confessed she had done. Such tragedies were all too painful and too common, but no man was justified in using a razor upon his wife’s throat because she had been unfaithful.

The jury found prisoner guilty, and strongly recommended him to mercy.

He was sentenced to nine months’ hard labour.