COURT DRAMA

Evening Star, Issue 23438, 1 December 1939, Page 2

COURT DRAMA

SELF-CONFESSED MURDERER REMEMBERS TO TAKE GAS-MASK War-time precautions gave an added touch of drama to the final stage of a murder trial at the Old Bailey, London. When Leonard George Sucker, 80-year-old wood machinist, heard the dread, sentence of death passed on him for killing the mother of the girl who had jilted him he stooped down, picked up his gas mask from the floor of the dock, and calmly took it with him to the cells. Hucker’s former sweetheart, 80-year-old Beatrice Fullick, gave evidence against Hucker, who denied that he had any desire to stab or .kill hexmother, Mrs Mary Alice Maud Fullick, aged 60 years. Mrs Fullick was found dead in her basement flat at Victoria Villas. Kilburn. Mr Getald Howard, prosecuting, explained that Miss Fullick had known Hucker for a number of years, but he was out of .work for a considerable period and she apparently got tired of this and broke with him. An August 11 Miss Fullick wrote to Hucker a letter-card, which read: “ Hear Len, shall not be seeing you again as I have made further arrangeinents.—Trix.” On August 15 Hucker bought a large sheath knife. ■ The next afternoon Hucker went to Harrow Road Police Station and told an officer there, “ I have murdered a woman to-day at Victoria Villas. She is Mrs Fullick, my girl’s mother. I stabbed her, and here is the key.” Later, in a statement, Hucker said, “ 1 lost my head and stabbed her in the chest.” In her evidence Beatrice Fullick stated that Hucker had a violent temper. She admitted that he had been depressed because he had been out of work for nearly a year. They had been on very friendly terms. Hucker, in the witness box, stated that when out of work ho had fits of depression and took medicine to make him sleep. In July when he received a letter from Miss Fullick suggesting thev should part he took an overdose of sleeping draught and did not recover until the following day. He asserted that he bought the sheath knife with the intention of taking his own life, “ I stood in from, of the mirror,” he said, “ and attempted to use it on myself. Something came over me. 1 just did not have the courage." The next day he called on Mrs Fullick and his fi-iehdship with her daughter was discussed. Later, Hucker alleged, Mrs Fullick struck him in the face. He then took out the sheath knife to frighten her, and saying “ You would not dare,” she made a. lunge at him. “ I was trying to ward her off, Huoker declared. “I was holding the knife with the point forward. The next thing I knew she came at me and the knife stuck in her.” The jury, on which there were two women, were 25 minutes considering their verdict.