Irishman for trial

Alleged Bid to Strangle Conisbrough Girl

At Doncaster West Riding magistrates court on Friday a young Irish mineworker was committed for trial at Leeds Assizes on a charge of attempting to strangle 17 years old Eileen Mary Rowson, 37, Prior Road Conisbrough with a view to enabling to commit an offence, on 9 September 24^th at Mexborough. The man was Kevin Thomas Dyer, (24) of Mexborough Miners Hostel, described as an Irishman with a wife and child living in Dublin. Through his solicitor Mr R.S. Pennington he entered a plea of “not guilty” and reserved his defence

Prosecuting, Mr M.D.Schaffner said on 9 September 24, Eileen Rowson was in Mexborough with a friend, 18 years old Dorothy Jenkinson, of two Rock Terrace, Bank Street Mexborough.

The girls intended to go to a dance at the Miners’ Hostel, They called at a Mexborough hotel, where they saw Dwyer, who ordered drinks for them. They asked for shandies, the accused ordered beer. There was some conversation, after which Eileen went with Dwyer to a local ballroom. Miss Rowson was under the impression that Dwyer was a single man.

Mr. Shaffner went on to say that Dwyer later said he had a ‘phone call to make, Eileen accompanied him to a ‘phone box in Bank Street. After some difficulty in getting through, he then suggested going to another kiosk near Mexborough dog track. ” She alleges,” went on Mr. Shaffner, ” that when they got to a point where the fence surrounds the dog track he asked her to climb over, she declined.

He then threw her to the ground, put his hand round her throat and said, ‘if you do not keep quiet I will kill you. He pressed on her throat using severe pressure. She says she was foaming at the mouth, her eyes felt tight, and she was unable to struggle any more.”

Dr. Lindsay, Mexborough, said he examined Eileen on September 26th at Mexborough Police Station. He was of the opinion ” that had the pressure on the throat been maintained a little longer the girl could easily have died.”

Dr. Lindsay said he found haemorrhage on the eye lids which were swollen and discoloured, also an abrasion across the neck.

Girl’s Evidence

Miss Rowson in evidence said:

He threw me to the ground and jumped on top of me and put his hands to my throat. I screamed and continued to struggle. This He started to use more pressure. I could not breathe. He kept pressing and pressing and saying, You’re dying, you’re dying, you’re dying.

I think I had my mouth open and my eyes felt very tight. I started foaming at the mouth and he tried to kiss me again. I bit him on his top lip.

Dorothy Jenkinson, Eileen’s friend, said Eileen called at her home at 11-15 p.m. the same night in a very distressed condition. “Her face was dirty and there was dirt on her coat.”

George William Jones, a miner, of 10, Morton Road, Mexborough, who was in the vicinity of the dog track between 10-15 p.m. and 10-30 p.m. that night, heard Eileen’s screams coming from dog daisy , fields. “I jumped over the railings, there was a man and woman on the ground. I saw the man look up and off he went. The girl looked as If she had had a rough time. She said she had been dancing with a man who had tried to strangle her.”

Detective Officer Bould, next day went to the Miners’ Hostel and saw Dwyer who, in a statement, said: ” I was in the pub drinking with a friend, two girls walked In. I knew one called.. We were going to the dance at the hostel then, all three of us.

They said it was ‘records’. I pulled the girl back (Eileen) go to the dance place at the ballroom. I said I had a friend in London and told her we would phone her up. We could not get through. I said I knew another telephone box. She was acting free. We sat down and started kissing.”

Dyer’s statement went to say he put his hands over Eileen’s face to keep her quiet. “I heard some fellows running to us, I got up and ran away.”

Mr. Pennington, on behalf of Dwyer, asked for bail, which was refused on the grounds that Dwyer had no fixed abode.