Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, December 9th 1943
Youth Acquitted of Killing Father
In the Crown Court, at the Assizes in Leeds, yesterday. before Mr. Justice Stable, the jury found John Pickering (17). colliery haulage hand, Daylands Avenue. Conisbrough. not guilty of the murder of his father. John Pickering, alias Fred Pickering, or of manslaughter, and was discharged.
Mr. Justice Stable: The jury have returned a verdict of not guilty. I should like to add that in that verdict I entirely concur.” It Is a perfectly right and proper verdict in my view on the evidence. It may be a consolation to you to reflect that, it turns out, in any event, you only shortened your father’s life by a matter of two or three months.
Mr. G. H. B. Streatfeild. K. C. and Mr. Miles Archibald appeared for the prosecution: Mr C. Paley Scott. K. C. and Mr. Willard Sexton for the defence.
The father, it was stated, attacked his step-daughter when he was the worse for drink and his son struck him with a chopper.