Ernest Bernard Scott

Ernest Bernard Scott was convicted of the murder of his 25-year-old girlfriend Rebecca Jane Quinn and sentenced to death.

He cut her throat at New Delaval, near Blyth on 11 August 1919.

Ernest Scott had been a fireman. He had previously been at sea for ten years but had latterly worked at a colliery.

He had been keeping company with Rebecca Quinn for three weeks. She had been single and had recently taken the position of housekeeper to two miners at Bebside, near New Delaval. She had had an illegitimate child who lived with her parents at New Deleval, although there was no suggestion that Ernest Scott had been the father.

At about 10am on Monday 11 August 1919 Ernest Scott called on a woman who lived near the two miners in Bebside and asked her to go and tell Rebecca Quinn that her baby had been scalded. However, that had been a lie, and there was nothing wrong with her baby.

The woman went to tell Rebecca Quinn and at about 11am, Rebecca Quinn, who was crying, fetched the woman to go with her to New Delaval.

Whilst on the road, they met Ernest Scott who asked Rebecca Quinn why she had been so long in coming when she had been sent for, but Rebecca Quinn didn't reply.

However, after the three had gone a little further, Ernest Scott seized Rebecca Quinn and cut her throat to the bone with a razor. She died almost immediately.

He then ran away but was chased and gave himself up to a police constable. Ernest Scott then said, 'Policeman, I have killed a woman, here take me'.

He was then taken into custody, and on the way to the police station at Blyth, he said, 'I have not slept all night, I have been working out a scheme and it has come off. Rebecca has given me up and was with another man last night and that is more than I can stand and if you had not caught me I intended to finish myself in the river. I am glad you caught me but do not keep me in misery, take me and finish me off at once. I had two tries to cut her throat, you will find her near the pit heap at New Delaval.

When he was later charged, he said, 'That is quite correct. I am happy now'.

It was noted that when Ernest Scott had called on the neighbour that morning that he had given her a letter to be given to one of the miners that Rebecca Quinn had been keeping house for, in which contained a farewell letter pointing to a double suicide, signed by both him and Rebecca Quinn. However, it was noted that the names were both in Ernest Scott's writing.

The neighbour said that she had seen Ernest Scott and Rebecca Quinn together on the Saturday, noting that they had seemed quite friendly, and said that Rebecca Quinn had been all right on the Sunday.

When he was brought before the magistrates, he said, 'I am guilty of killing the woman I love, that is all'.

At his trial, Ernest Scott refused to be defended by counsel and merely said that although he had taken Rebecca Quinn's life, that it had not been murder.

A medical officer that examined him found him to be quite sane and the police described him as being of a roving disposition, very excitable and addicted to drink.

It was noted that Ernest Scott had borrowed the razor that morning from a fellow lodger.

The police report stated that it had been a deliberate and cunningly contrived murder, apparently due to jealousy of someone, but that there was no evidence as to who the other man had been.

When he was convicted at the Newcastle Assizes on Wednesday 5 November 1919, the jury made no recommendation to mercy, and Ernest Scott expressed his satisfaction with the sentence. When he was asked whether he had anything to say why the death sentence should not be carried out, he said, 'Not in the least. I will get the happiness I want then. I have long looked for it, and was deprived of it. I will not be deprived of it in the next world'.

He was executed at Newcastle on 26 November 1919 at 8am. Ambrose Quinn was also executed at Newcastle the same day, at 9.15am. It was noted that the cases were not related, but that both crimes had been committed with a razor in the open presence of witnesses and that jealousy had been the motive in each case.