Michael Simpson (Jail)

Michael Simpson was convicted of the attempted murder of his wife in 1922. He had a previous conviction for manslaughter.

He attacked her after she came home drunk and started abusing him.

They had lived together with their five children in a house in Camberwell Road.

On the night of 22 March 1922 Michael Simpson went to Carter Street police station and said that he wanted to give himself up for the murder of his wife.

When the police went to their house they found his wife there seriously injured with he skull fractured, however, she made a good recovery.In a later statement, Michael Simpson said that he:

Their 16-year-old son said that when he came home on 22 March 1922 that his mother was out and that he gave the children their tea and that when Michael Simpson later came home that he had his tea and read the newspaper.

However, he said that his mother came homw at 7.30pm, three parts drunk', and started to abuse Michael Simpson.

He said that Michael Simpson then knocked his mother down with his fist and then told the children to leave the room, saying:

He sad that the little children went to bed, but that he stayed and saw Michael Simpsontake a hammer and beat his mother over the head with it three times.

However, when hos wife gave evidence, she said that she had gone home drunk and thrown a poker at Michael Simpson and then tripped over an oil cloth and struck her head on the stone mantelpiece. She denied that Michael Simpson struck her, but said that he told her that he would, 'do her in', but that she took no notice of that as he was always saying that, adding that it was all her fault.

However, Michael Simpson was found guilty of attempted murder, but with a recommendation to mercy, and sentenced to seven years.