SHOOTING INCIDENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 14 June 1939, Page 7

SHOOTING INCIDENT

NEAR HOME OF DUCHESS OF KENT AUSTRALIAN BEFORE THE COURT COMMITTED FOR TRIAL (KJ.P.A Hy Electric Telegraph—Copyright! • Received 14th June. 9.0 a.m.) LONDON, 13th June. When the hearing of the charge against Vincent Rutledge Lawlor, who i fc alleged to have fired a shotgun pointed towards the Duchess of Kent outside her home on sth June, was resumed in the Westminster Police Court to-day, the prosecution said that accused was an Australian who arrived in London on 6th April. He had been working as a welder's assistant at Waterloo Bridge. To-day the accused was further charged with a similar offence on 4th June, when the window of Earl Harewood's house was broken by a bullet. The prosecution stated that 21 rounds of ammunition fitting the gun produced in Court, and also 10 airgun pellets, were found in Lawlor's possession. One thousand more pellets were discovered at his lodgings in Newington Cause-

The prosecution said that on the evening of 4th June a Scotland Yard man in the vicinity of the Earl Harewood's home heard a shot and saw a man thrust something in his pocket and then mount a bicycle and ride off quickly. A bullet hole was later found in a widow of Earl Harewood's diningroom. Pellets found at Earl Harewood's home

closely resembled those found in Lawlor's possession. Lawlor was next seen on sth June sitting in the porch of a house on the corner of Bel grave Square holding something like a piece of wood and aiming at a corner of the Square. The Duchess of Kent was passing by in a car. and when abreast of Lawlor he fired the gun. The bullet missed the car and later a portion of the bullet was found on the pavement. Lawlor mounted a bicycle and rode away toward Buckingham Palace. An eye witness named Kirkwood picked up the police and their car pursued Lawlor. who exclaimed, ‘There is no need for this fuss. 1 am entitled to have a gun. I’ve a certificate for it.” He added: “The gun jammed a few days ago and I was trying to undo it in Bclgrave Square when it went off.”

The prosecution continued that the firearm was a .22 rifle of German manufacture, with which accurate «liooting was impossible. Two addresses, 3 Belgrave Square and 32 Green street (the residences of the Duke of Kent and 1 the Earl of Harewood) were written on the back of Lawlor’s firearm certificate. The accused remarked: "I wrote | them down because I was told that was , v/hcre dukes and kings lived. I wanted to see a duke." Geoffrey Robert Kirkwood, company director, an eye-witness of the incident in Bclgrave Square, cross-examined said he could not bo positive that accused aimed at the Duchess of Kent's car. but obviously it was aimed at something. Counsel for the defence said that Lawlor wanted to record at the first opportunity that he never at any time had any desire or intention to harm or injure the Duchess and members of the Royai Family. Lawlor pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence. He was committed fr- trial.