Rowland Duck

Roland Duck was convicted of the murder of 18-year-old Lily Pearce. He cut her throat at 13 Cambria Street, Fulham, on 3 May 1923. Lily Pearce had been a prostitute. He had sex with her whilst his wife was out and afterwards found that he was in a certain condition. He challenged her over it and later cut her throat and gave himself up to the police. Roland Duck had been a labourer. He married in December 1916 and had three children. He was called up in December 1916, but owing to his defective eyesight he was posted to the Labour Corps and eventually was drafted to France, where he was employed roadmaking behind the lines for some months and was discharged in March 1919 with a pension of £2-6s-0d a week in respect of his eyesight. He had been suffering from a detached retina, which was supposed to have been aggravated by his war service. It was noted that there was no mention, however, in his medical record of his ever having been blown up as he stated in his evidence. Since his discharge from the army however, he had done no work. It was suggested that his eyesight would have prevented his doing any, but he was stated by the police to have spent his time drinking and associating with bad characters and loose women. At the date of the murder, he and his wife and three children had been living in two rooms at 13 Cambria Street in Fulham. His wife was engaged as a charwoman and used to go out about 6.30am and return about 7pm in the evening. Roland Duck was said to have looked after the three children to the extent of even making and mending their clothes, but it was noted that their rooms were in a verminous condition. About three weeks before the date of the murder, 3 May 1923, Roland Duck asked his wife whether she would allow Lily Pearce to come and put up with them during the weekend as she was about to go to Brighton. His wife consented and told Lily Pearce that she could stay with them, but as they had only two rooms, she would have to sleep in the front room with two of the children. However, Lily Pearce continued to sleep at the house, night after night, alleging that she couldn't get her fare to Brighton. xxx3xxx Roland Duck said that one morning, probably 21 April 1923, after his wife had gone to work, he had connection with Lily Pearce and a few days later found that he was suffering from gonorrhoea. He taxed Lily Pearce with it, and she admitted that she had had it for years. Then, according to Roland Duck, she refused to leave and threatened to tell his wife that he had got the disease from her. At about the same time, Roland Duck told a friend of Lily Pearce that he had 'caught a dose' from her. On the evening of 2 May 1923, Roland Duck came home drunk. The next morning his wife, before she left for work, appeared to have told Roland Duck that he had to get rid of Lily Pearce that day. Roland Duck then got up about 7am and took the children out of the bedroom and later returned to the bedroom and cut Lily Pearce's throat while she was asleep with a razor. He then wrapped the body up and put it under the bed, leaving the blood-stained razor on the top of the bundle. He then went back to the kitchen and dressed the children and took them to his wife's mother's house. He spent the day drinking with a friend, and about 7pm he told his friend and another man that he had done Lily Pearce in because he had caught a dose from her. The three of them then went to meet Roland Duck's wife at the railway station and he told her that he had done Lily Pearce and that his friend would tell her why he had done it. Roland Duck then gave himself up at the police station. xxx2xxx After a caution he made a statement to the police in which occurs the words: xxxqxxx One morning she was in bed, I had connection with her after my wife went to work. About a week afterwards, it is a week today, I asked her if there was anything wrong with her. She told me she had had it for years. She also said I deserved all I got. I done no more. This morning I done no more, but got a razor and cut her throat, put a blanket round her head, and put her under the bed. Afterwards I washed and dressed the children and came out with them and left them in the care of my wife's mother. I have been drinking all day. This is all I wish to say. xxxqxxx Lily Pearce's body was found as Roland Duck described. There were no signs of a struggle. Her head was nearly cut off. She was found to have been suffering from gonorrhoea of old standing and had been in a shocking condition. On admission to prison, Roland Duck was found to be suffering from a recent infection of gonorrhoea. At his trial, his only defence was insanity, based upon the suggestion that Roland Duck was an epileptic and that the stress of events, culminating in his discovery that he had been infected, had induced a recurrence of epilepsy, and that he committed the murder whilst in a post-epileptic condition. The defence called a doctor who examined Roland Duck and who laid considerable stress on the fact that he found a serrated tongue, as showing that Roland Duck was subject to epilepsy. however, another doctor said that he didn't discover that symptom, nor any other reason to suppose that Roland Duck was an epileptic subject or had ever suffered from epileptic fits. There was some evidence by Roland Duck's mother that he had been subject to fits of some kind up to the age of five years, but it was noted that even if those fits had in fact occurred, they need not have been of an epileptic character. Another doctor, a mental expert of Wimpole Street, was also called by the defence, and in cross-examination propounded the unusual theory that a man might commit acts while in a post-epileptic condition when he did not know what he was doing and yet have a perfect recollection of the acts after he had recovered consciousness. However, it was noted that that was totally at variance with the usual medical evidence from other doctors in which it was always contended that the fact that the prisoner had no recollection of having committed a murder was almost conclusive evidence that the murder was committed in a post epileptic condition. It was further noted that Roland Duck, who gave evidence, said that he remembered nothing after taking the children out of the bedroom until he found himself wrapping Lily Pearce's head up in the blanket. Further, another doctor said that it was quite clear that Roland Duck was not an epileptic subject and that the facts of the murder and his recollection of it, as shown by his account to the police, showed that it could not have been committed while he was in an epileptic condition. The doctor further noted that he could find no symptom whatever of insanity and his opinion was confirmed by the medical officer of Pentonville. At the trial the jury found Roland Duck guilty, after 25 minutes' deliberation, without any recommendation to mercy, and the judge made no comment on the case. Roland Duck appealed, but his appeal was dismissed. His appeal included the claim that he had been hearing voices that had mocked him and laughed at him and had told him to do it. However, a medical officer at Pentonville said that he didn't place any importance to the claims, it being further noted that he had had ample time at the trial to mention them. His appeal was dismissed. Roland Duck was executed at Pentonville on 4 July 1923. Cambria Street, which was described as one of the poorest streets of Fulham, has since been redeveloped. A labourer sentenced to death by Mr Justice Swift at the Old Bailey on 31 May, for the murder of Miss Nellie Pearce (18). Duck was a married man with three children but used to visit Nellie at her lodgings. For reasons never made clear, he cut her throat and then wrapped her body in an army blanket before concealing her under the bed. He claimed no recollection of the murder, and stated in his defence that he was an epileptic with hereditary insanity. Strenuous effo s were made to secure a reprieve for Duck, who was partially sighted. Hanged by John Ellis and Robert Wilson.