Man Remanded After Conisbro’ Shooting

September 1958

South Yorkshire Times September 6, 1958

Man Remanded After Conisbro’ Shooting

Chief Superintendent L. D. Lewrey alleged at Doncaster West Riding Court on Saturday that a 41-years-old Conisbrough miner, while talking with a friend at a house in Conisbrough, picked up a loaded shot-gun, pointed it at his friend and pulled the trigger stop

The miner. George Wilkinson, of Athelstane Road, Conisbrough, was remanded in custody until today (Friday), charged that he did feloniously kill and slay Joseph Bromfield (36) miner, of 18 Harthill Road, Conanby Estate, Conisbrough, on Friday, by shooting with a shot gun.

Chief Superintendent Lewrey the said, “The accused and the deceased were friendly and were at the house of another friend, Mr Geoffrey Harper, of March Vale Terrace, Conisbrough on Friday, August 29th.

Harper is the owner of a 12 bore shotgun. Both the accused and the deceased handled the gun during the course of the morning.

“At about I p.m. that day the two were sitting in the kitchen with Mrs. Harper when Wilkinson picked up the gun and pointing it at Bromfield pulled the trigger.

“The police were called and the accused made a statement.

“Later when cautioned and charged” continued the superintendent the accused replied “I have told you all about it. There’s nothing else to it.”

Inquest Adjourned

The inquest on Bromfield was opened by the Doncaster district coroner (Mr W.H.Carlisle) at Conisbrough on Tuesday. He adjourned the proceedings until the conclusion of criminal proceedings and said that in all probability it would not be resumed

Thomas Bromfield, a collier of 4, Palm Grove, Conisbrough, told the Coroner that he had seen the body at the mortuary and identified it as that of his brother, Joseph Bromfield.

David Ernest Price, Home Office consultant pathologist, who had made a post-mortem examination, said that the shotgun wounds had been inflicted at a range of a few feet to the chest of the deceased, and the shot had travelled back and downwards and had damaged a number of organs, including the heart.

He said the cause of death was shock and haemorrhage following and due to a shotgun wound of the trunk.

Questioned by the Coroner, he said that death would have taken place a few seconds after the injury.