Attempted suicide

At a special sitting of the Hatfield Justices on Monday, Percy Robert Lee of Cavendish Road, St Albans, was charged with attempted suicide at Lemsford.  He appeared in court with bare legs, having cut his trousers high up on the leg.  His manner at the hearing was said to be strange !

A miller of Lemsford, William Henry Boutell, said that he had seen the defendant strip off his clothing close to the mill.  When asked what he was doing, the defendant just said “jump into the river”.  The miller did not allow the defendant to jump, but took him instead to the mill.  The police were called.

PC Olding, on arriving at the mill, took charge of the defendant and took him to Hatfield Police Station where the defendant was charged but made no reply.  In the prisoner’s possession was an army book and a bottle of spirits.

When at the mill, the defendant had said that he had just bought 20,000 acres of land in Surrey, and that he had a large house there, under construction, with marble steps.  He had said that he intended to have several farms on his estate, would take farmers from Hertfordshire, and would pay them £5 per week, with house provided.

When the army pay book was presented at Court, the prisoner said to the Chairmen “Yes, read that, Sir, it’s a credit to me.  I got the VC and the DSO.”  He added that he had been in the navy and the army, and had only been intending to jump into the river by the mill in order to take a bath.

Supt Sullivan indicated to the Court that there were other matters pending with regard to the prisoner.  Mr Mundin, police court missionary, said that he had known the prisoner since he was a boy, and that he was sure from the defendant’s behaviour that there was something seriously the matter with him !

The Chairman said that the Bench were unanimous in deciding that the charge of attempted suicide was not proved but, as there was another charge pending, they would be really glad if he could be remanded in custody for a short time whilst the police could get more information.  The defendant was therefore handed over to Supt Sullivan to be dealt with at a later stage.