A MURDER CASE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 91, 15 October 1934, Page 9

A MURDER CASE

BODY NOT DISCOVERED

BUT FATHER CONVICTED

LONDON, October 1. Thomas Davidson, thirty-four, poulcry breeder, was convicted at tho Old Bailey of tho murder of his son, aged eight. The body of the child has not been found, and the only evidenco against the accused was his own statement. The boy disappeared on December 21. Davidson wroto to tho police on July 21 saying: "I think it best to make a clean sweep of the matter. I killed Jackie." It was alleged that accused signed a j statement to the effect that he had been worried by his wife's refusal to return homo, that he took the boy from tho houso where she was associating with another man, and that ho jumped in* the canal with tho boy. "I reached the bank and left Jackio on the edge of a burning refuse dump," ;icensed was alleged to havo stated. ''When I returned, I found that tho body had been covered with refuse." At the trial, Davidson pleaded not guilty and gave evidence that on tho way back homo ho left the boy for a moment. . When ho returned he found him in the water. He said he could not rovive the .boy and placed him near the dump, but the warmth of it was of no avail. Davidson added that he was afraid when he saw a car approaching and covered the body with clean refuse.

Accused, whom the jury recommended to mercy, was sentenced to death.

Lawyers are keenly discussing the case, which is unique for the Old Bailey, An appeal is probable. Judges have hitherto been disinclined to uphold verdicts of guilty where tho prosecution relied on the confession of the accused.