South Yorkshire Times September 26, 1959
Bound Over for Suicide Attempt
Found lying on the ground In Old Road, Conisbrough, a 31- Years-old miner was found to be suffering from an overdose of drugs, Doncaster West Riding Magistrates were told on Saturday.
The miner, Michael O’Neill, of Daylands Avenue, Conisbrough, pleaded guilty to attempting to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pheno-barbitone tablets. He was bound over for a year after he promised not to repeat the attempt. When O’Neill said he had no money he was given his bus fare home by the Chairman (Mr. C. E. Wright).
Detective Sergeant W. Margetts said O’Neill was found on the road by a Mr. John Crossland, who tried to rouse him. O’Neill told him he had taken some tablets and produced two empty boxes.
In Court, O’Neill said he did it because his wife had left him. He said while he was in Mexborough Montagu Hospital he had had plenty of time to think and probably his wife had “good reasons” to leave him. He said if he was allowed home he would smarten himself up, work hard and save money so that maybe his wife would return to him.