Conisborough Cemetery Incident – Alleged Savage Attack on Woman

July 1929

Mexborough and Swinton Times July 26, 1929

Conisborough Cemetery Incident.

Alleged Savage Attack on Woman

Alexander Burt, miner, of Elm Green Lane, Conisborough, charged at Doncaster on Friday with inflicting grevious bodily harm on Ada Burgoyne, married, of Conisborough, was remanded in custody for a week.

Asked if he had anything to say why he should not be remanded, Burt said he pleaded guilty to striking the woman with his hand, but denied that he kicked her. He added: ”She has put one in prison twice for nothing and I thought I would go for something this time.”

The magistrates’ clerk (Mr. E. W. Pettifer), advised the man to reserve any defence until the proper time.

Superintendent Minty said the prisoner was arrested yesterday, and charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on the woman by striking her with his fist and breaking her nose, kicking her, and causing other injuries. It was necessary to take the woman to the local hospital for treatment. She was then taken home in a taxi, and would not be fit to appear in court for some days.

Mr. Minty added that there appeared to have been trouble between the complainant and this man before, and the man had been bound over, and also convicted for using bad language to her. He had been to prison for non payment of a fine for breach of recognisance.

On July 18th, the prisoner met the woman on the cemetery footpath at Denaby and “set about” her without any provocation. He struck her on the nose, knocked her down, and kicked her about the body, and but for the intervention of the cemetery superintendent, he might have killed her.