Tracing Villains and Their Victims by Oates Jonathan;

Author:Oates, Jonathan;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited
Published: 2017-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Then we have a statement about one of the two suspects, a young man by the name of William Thomas Gray.

Statement of Minie Hird, 156 Longstone Road, Eastbourne, who saith: –

I know William Gray. I first knew him when he came home in soldier’s clothes and he used to go with Lily Anderson to whom he is now married. I was introduced to him by Doris Fox, 2 years ago this August; I was in London a year and this was before I went to London. I was about 16 then. About 4 or 5 months after I was introduced by Doris Fox. She and I went for a walk with him. This was in the evening about dusk. I think he had just got married; we all three went to Beachy Head and sat on the grass. I was on the outside, Doris next and Gray the other side of Doris. Doris got up and went to look over the cliffs and Gray moved over to me. He put his hand on my chest and pushed me down and said ‘I haven’t brought you up here for nothing’. I said ‘I’m a respectable girl’. He said ‘I would like to push you over the cliff’. This was because I would not submit to him. I got up and walked home and left him with Doris … I have seen Gray with girls occasionally since he has been married. I have spoken to girls about him and they say he is no good …

Sometime in August, one Wednesday night, Gladys Fielder and I were out together and when passing the Hippodrome we met Gray and Field. Gladys spoke to Field, I walked on and [he] overtook me immediately afterwards. When Gray tried to take a liberty with me I told him he was a married man and his place was with his wife. He said that he was not a married man but I told him he was.

These two statements, were, incidentally, never produced in court, but shed a great deal of additional light on the accused and the victim. Irene seems less the ‘silly young woman’ or being immoral as she is often portrayed in books. Gray, on the other hand, has his reputation even further diminished as he comes across as a rapist as well as a murderer. They may have been ultimately irrelevant in the conviction of the accused, because statements about previous offences, real and reported, cannot be made by the prosecution in court, but for the family historian are invaluable because we learn a lot more about both individuals.

Additional statements are sometimes made by witnesses if they recall more information or if the police think that they might know more than they first claimed. Often these are straightforward enough and simply more information is provided. Some statements are of more importance than others, with some being very peripheral indeed. For example in missing person cases, there are often hundreds of sightings reported and the majority of witnesses are mistaken.

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