Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1879-03-01 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

TRIAL FOR MANSLAUGHTER..  - _ At the Central Criminal Court, before Mr. Justice Hawkins, William Hancock, 27, described as a labourer, was indicted for the manslaughter of Elisabeth Glover. Although the prisoner in this case was described as a labourer, it transpired that he was a member of the police force, being attached to the Y division. But at the time the occurrence took place, he had only been appointed a very few days, and had never been engaged in regular duty, and was in plain clothes. From the opening statement it appeared that the prisoner was charged with having caused, or accelerated, the death of the deceased by brutal violence. On the night of the 21st of January the deceased was on the point of leaving the " Black Swan" public-house in the Bow-road, when she and prisoner had an altercation together, and the prisoner struck her a blow on the nose, which knocked her down. He then dragged her about, pulled her clothes over her head, and gave her a violent kick in the knee and fell upon her. The deceased was ultimately taken to the hospital, where she died on the following day, the death being occasioned, according to the medical testimony, by the shock to the system, which was the result of the injury to the knee. It was admitted that the deceased was very much diseased and in an unhealthy condition, and would probably not have lived very long, still it was alleged that inasmuch as the violence of the prisoner had accelerated death, he was criminally responsible. The prisoner and the deceased were both drunk at the time the affair happened. The learned counsel, in the course of his address to the jury, said that although these acts of brutality were I represented to have continued for some considerable time, it was an extraordinary fact that none of the bystanders took any steps to rescue the deceased or to prevent the prisoner from continuing his violence. Several witnesses were then examined for the prosecution, who stated that the prisoner had, in the first instance, represented that the deceased woman was his wife, and that he knocked her down by a violent blow on the nose, and while on the ground deliberately exposed her and kicked her on tile knee. Two police-constables of the K division, named Morgan and Saunders, who were brought to the spot by the cries of " Murder " and "Police" from deceased, stated that in the  first instance they thought that the parties were man and wife, and that the prisoner was trying to get her home. Mr. Justice Hawkins observed that it appeared to him that the conduct of these two officers and the way in which they had performed their duty ought to be inquired into by the proper authorities. Mr. Montagu Williams, on behalf of the prisoner, argued that it appeared to be admitted that the injury to the knee joint was the cause of her death, and he submitted to the jury that this injury was just as likely to have been incurred by accident as by any deliberate act on the part of the prisoner. He also commented severely upon the conduct of the police, and said there could be very little doubt that if they had interfered earlier the prisoner would never have been put upon his trial for this offence. The jury found the prisoner guilty, and the prisoner was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour.