“THE OTHER MAN”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23703, 10 January 1939, Page 9

“THE OTHER MAN”

DEATH SENTENCE ON HUSBAND “GREAT PROVOCATION” (From Our Own Correspondent; (By Air Mail) LONDON. Dec. 15. Sentence of death was passed by Mr Justice Macnaghten at the Central Criminal Court on Leslie Charles Clements, aged 28. a barman, of Richmond Way. Shepherds Bush, who was found guilty of the murder of his wife. Evelyn Clements, aged 25, who was found dead in bed in their basement flat on October 23. with injuries to her head and a pen-knife plunged into her back. Clements pleaded Not guilty. The jury, who were absent for one hour and 20 minutes considering their verdict. added a very strong recommendation to mercy, “as the prisoner acted under great provocation.” The judge: But not sufficient to reduce the crime to manslaughter? _ The foreman of the jury replied: “That is so, my Lord.” In a statement made to the police Clements said that his wife told him the name of another man, named Felix, whom she had met in the Isle of Man. Detective Inspector Sands said that he had seen the man Felix, and he had told him he had committed adultery with Mrs Clements. Letter from Wife

Clements., in the witness box. said that he was married in August, 1935, and there was one boy of the marriage, aged two. In June his wife obtained work at an hotel in Douglas, Isle of Man, and. he came to work at Enfield. She returned to Manchester in September and wrote to him. Mr J. F. Eastwood, K.C., M.P. (defending), read passages from a letter said to have been written by Mrs Clements to her husband: —“ I belieye it is better for me to find interest in other people. It does me good. I even find my interest in the baby to have dropped a little —not my love, but my interest. There must be something wrong with me.” , The letter also said: “At 25 when you have had a lot of your own company it is heady wine to find people who think you look good, not just virtuous; think you look wholesome, nice teeth, good skin, clear eyes, dimples, and all that. I am rotten, aren’t I? But we are playing with fire, being away from each other. There is danger ahead. Haven’t you met anyone whose company you enjoyed so that you l?oked forward to being with them again. 1 have. You may be disgusted with me by now. I am changeable and untrustworthy, but I must tell you the truth.” . . Clements said that after receiving the letter he went to Manchester and saw his wife. They made it up and came to London to look for employment and they got on fairly well. Mr Eastwood: Did your wife talk about Ffelix?—Yes. a lot. . Clements went on to say that his Wife told him she had got a job as a barmaid in London and she had tsken it as a single woman. She took on her wedding ring and gave it to him. The accused held up his left hand and showed a ring on his finger, and remarked, “It has been here ever since.” Questioned about the events of the morning on the day of the tragedy, Clements said he got up and put the kettle on. He then went back to bed wearing his dressing gown. His wife, who was half asleep, said, “Have you put the kettle on, Felix? ” Mr Eastwood: Before she made tha, remark were you certain your wife had committed adultery?—No. What did you think after that?—! thought she had. Clements agreed, emotionally, that his statements to the police were true—that he lost control of himself and hit his wife on the head with a bottle; attempted to strangle her. and put the knife between her shoulder blades.