The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

153.   JAMES BRIDGMAN (32) , Feloniously cutting and wounding   Ellen Bridgman, with intent to do her grievous bodily harm.

MR. BROXHOLME Prosecuted.

  ELLEN BRIDGMAN , I live at 14, Devonshire Place, Newington Causeway—the prisoner is my husband—we have been married two years and have lived very unhappily—on 10th November we quarreled, and I left him and went home, because he said he would do for me—the next morning about 7 o'clock lie came round and asked me to go back together, and when we arrived at home he said "will you make it up?"—I said "No;" he said "Will you come to the Court and have a separation?"—I said "No, I have not got time"—I knew no more till I was stabbed with a knife; I did not see it in lais hand; he lad it in his pockot, open; he caught me by the side of the neck with one hand and staged me, with the other—I ran out of the house, he ran after me, and I ran up to a policeman outside the station, who told me to go inside—my husband then came in and gave himself up—my wound was dressed at the station—after ho stabbed me he said that it was because I stopped out all night—I had never stayed away at night before—I don't wish to dp him any harm.

Cross-examined. I did not stop out on the Thursday night; I was at home when you came home, and had tea ready f°r you—I was not out on the Monday night when you came home.

  NORAH BROWN . I live at 68, Elsted Street, "Walworth—I was in the prisoner's house that morning when he came home with his wife—he asked her to make it up; she said she would not—he had in his trousers pocket and rushed at her—she screamed, and I took hold of him and took knife out of his hand; this is it (produced)—he went like that to her neck—I shut the knife, and when I gave it to the policeman I saw blood on it—her neck was bleeding when slie was at the station.

Cross-examined. You were not cutting your finger nails, nor did your wife say "Give me the knife," and try to take it from you, and then say "He has cut ray throat."

  MARIA SULLIVAN . I live at the prisoner's house—I saw fye prisoner and his wife and Norah Brown together on this morning—he took a knife out of his pocket and rushed at her throat—I did not see him take it out of his pooket, but I saw it taken out of his hand—he got hold of her with one hand and got the knife out of his pocket and stuck her in the throat.

By the JURY. I did not see him open the knife, it was already open in his pocket.

  ALFRED DIBLEY . I live at 27, Martin Street—I was in the prisoner's house that morning sitting on a chair—I turned to light my pipe and heard them scream—I did not see him stab her—I rushed up and parted them.

MR. EVANS. I am surgeon to the M division of police—I saw the prosecutrix on the morning in question, and found a small wound

about the middle of her neck on the left side, a quarter of an inch wide and the same depth—this knife would cause it, and I found blood on it—it was on a dangerous part, but the wound itself was not dangerous—she has quite recovered.

  JOHN LEWIS (Policeman M 168). I was just outside the station when the prosecutrix came in bleeding from the left side of her neck—the prisoner came afterwards, and I took him in custody—I asked him if what his wife said was correct, that he had stabbed her—he said "Yes, quite right," and that he had done it because she had stopped out all night.

The Prisoner's Statement before the Magistrate. "Only for her stopping out all night as she has done I should not have done what I have done."

The prisoner in his defence accused his wife of leading an immoral life, and stated that she got cut by coming near him while he was cutting his finger nails.

GUILTY of unlawfully wounding .— Judgment respited.

Before Mr. Justice Hawkins.