Bernard Pomroy

Bernard Pomroy was convicted of the murder of 21-year-old Alice May Cheshire and sentenced to death. He killed her In a taxi-cab near Swiss Cottage, London on 6 February 1923. They had been driving along Finchley Road from Heath Drive, Hampstead at the time, nearing Swiss Cottage when the driver heard a slight scream which he took to be laughter, however, Bernard Pomroy asked him to take him to a police station as he had killed Alice Cheshire. Bernard Pomroy had been a shop assistant, but had been out of work. He joined up in July 1915, and served in France until April 1918, when he was severely wounded by shrapnel in the shoulder and was discharged as no longer physically fit in October 1918. His wound had caused a considerable wasting of his right arm, and he was awarded a permanent pension of 20 shillings a week. Bernard Pomroy's father had been a gardener and had worked for a market gardener at Bourne End, Boxmoor and Bernard Pomroy had for some years been keeping company with the market gardeners daughter, Alice Cheshire, who had been a domestic servant in London. Bernard Pomroy and Alice Cheshire had been engaged to be married, and were only waiting until Bernard Pomroy could get some employment. during the summer of 1922 Bernard Pomroy had been at home at Boxmoor, and it seemed that he had connection with Alice Cheshire's elder sister, aged 28, and in February 1923 she was 7½ months pregnant by him. Alice Cheshire at that time had been in service at a house at Templewood Avenue, Hampstead. On 4 February 1923 Bernard Pomroy informed Alice Cheshire's parents that the elder daughter was in trouble by him. It was noted that the elder daughter had already had two illegitimate children by different men. Bernard Pomroy then announced his intention of going the next day to London to tell Alice Cheshire about it. On Monday 5 February 1923, he fetched Alice Cheshire from the house at Hampstead, and they went together to the Hippodrome. About 11pm, Bernard Pomroy, with Alice Cheshire, hailed a taxi in Leicester Square and told the man to drive them to Kilburn Station. However, when they arrived there he told the driver to go on to Watford, and when they got to Watford, he told him to drive back to Leicester Square. When they got back to Leicester Square, Bernard Pomroy told the driver to go to the house in Templewood Avenue, Hampstead, and it was thought clear that as the cab was passing the Swiss Cottage, that Bernard Pomroy must have cut Alice Cheshire's throat with a large clasp knife. A track of blood was afterwards found on the near side of the road at Swiss Cottage, going from London. When the cab arrived at Templewood Avenue, Bernard Pomroy put his head out and told the driver that, as the house was shut up, he could not get her in and asked the driver to go to Leicester Square. When they arrived at Leicester Square, he put his head out and told the driver to take him to the nearest police station, and the driver took him to Vine Street. Bernard Pomroy then held out his hands to the police constable in charge and said: xxxqxxx Look at my hands. The woman is in the cab. xxxqxxx Bernard Pomroy had seemed sober and quite calm at the time. His hands were smothered with blood. The police then found Alice Cheshire on the floor of the cab. She had a severe wound in her throat, severing the right jugular vein and was in a dying condition. A large clasp knife was found on the seat of the cab. Alice Cheshire was then driven to Charing Cross Hospital, but died a few minutes after arrival. The resident medical officer at the hospital then at once examined her genital organs and found that there were two quite recent tears in the hymen, with a little blood, and that semen was present. He said that it was clear that she had recently had connection that evening and that in his opinion that was not the first time that she had had intercourse with a man. He noted that her closed knickers were in place and that none of her underclothing was torn. At his trial, Bernard Pomroy had wanted to plead guilty, but the judge refused to accept the plea and a plea of 'Not Guilty' was entered. Bernard Pomroy however, resolutely refused legal aid in his defence. At the luncheon adjournment Bernard Pomroy's brother was allowed to see him in the presence of a doctor, for the purpose of trying to induce him to be defended. After that, Bernard Pomroy's brother handed in to the clerk of the court a long statement, apparently prepared by him, as Bernard Pomroy's defence, which was then forwarded to the judge. However, Bernard Pomroy was convicted at the Old Bailey on 1 March 1923 and executed at Pentonville on 5 April 1923.