Henry Perkins

Henry Perkins was convicted of the murder of Patrick Durkin 29 and sentenced to death.

He stabbed him at a lodging house where they lodged together at 94 Newgate Street, Newcastle on 13 July 1905. Patrick Durkin was taken to the Royal Infirmary where he later died.

Death was stated to have been due to syncope from pericarditis and blood poisoning resulting from his wounds. Whilst in hospital Patrick Durkin was never in a condition to give a clear account of what had happened.

Henry Perkins had been a cobbler.

They had quarrelled on 12 July 1905 and the following evening when they were alone together in a room Henry Perkins cut Patrick Durkin's throat with a cobbler's knife as he slept.

Patrick Durkin had come back to the lodging house drunk and went into the kitchen where he lay down on a settle by the fire and went to sleep. Soon after Henry Perkins went into the room and sat down and started to play with a cobbler's knife. He then leapt on Patrick Durkin and stabbed at his throat with the knife.

Henry Perkins said that he did it because he thought that Patrick Durkin was going to strike him. He said that he saw Patrick Durkin getting up and thought he was going to strike him as he had done on the previous evening and so struck back.

When the judge passed sentence of death he noted that Henry Perkins had threatened to 'do' for Patrick Durkin and that within a few hours he had carried out his threat.