South Yorkshire Times and Express, September 1st, 1951
West Melton Murder Charge
Dead Man said to be “Terror of District”
A West Melton labourer who was alleged to have died as a result of being belaboured with a cricket bat by another West Melton man was stated at Rotherham West Riding Court on Wednesday to have been the “terror of the district”. A police constable described the deceased as a violent and vicious person who had several convictions for assault against him, including one on a police sergeant with an iron instrument which caused serious injury.
“Absolute Pest”
This evidence was revealed when Mr. Donald Dunn cross-examined a police constable in a case in which George H. Chapman (52), miner, of 10, Firth Road, West Melton was charged with the murder of Ellis Dransfield (38), labourer, also of Firth Road West Melton, on July 28th.
The accused who, through his solicitor, pleaded “not guilty” and reserved his defence was committed for trial at Leeds Assizes. Chapman was alleged to have said in a statement to the police “I did not mean to kill him. He has been an absolute pest and I just wanted to quiet him.”
Mr. W. Lewis, prosecuting, said there had been unpleasantness and difference of opinion between the accused and Dransfield previously. On the night Dransfield met his death the two men had had some words and had challenged each other to a fight. Dransfield had apparently challenged Chapman and it appeared arrangements had been made for a fight at 10 o’clock the next morning. Dransfield went back to his house and the accused stood in the doorway of his.
What Chapman did then, continued Mr. Lewis, was to go into the cellar, get a cricket bat, and in spite of the arrangements for the following day he went into the street with the bat, saying that he would fight Dransfield then. He then hit Dransfield across the shoulders and knocked him to his knees. He hit him again with the bat and then stood there until the arrival of the police. Dransfield was left lying in the road until he was carried into his mother’s house where, upon examination, he was found to be dead.
Tried to Avoid Him
Chapman’s alleged statement continued that he had known Dransfield since childhood. On the night of July 26th Dransfield, together with two other men, came out his (Chapman’s) fish shop at Number 8 Firth Road, where his wife was serving, and after a pause Chapman, who was standing in the door of his home, heard Dransfield say to the other men; “He’s there.” Dransfield then advanced towards him. He met Dransfield, grabbed him by the throat and held him on the ground with one hand while he waited to see what the other men were going to do. Dransfield kicked him however and was able to get up. The two men said they would take Dransfield home. Later, Chapman heard Dransfield say” I will kill him. I’m Sugar Ray.” The follow day he tried to avoid Dransfield by using the back door whenever he went out.
On Saturday July 28th, the statement continued – he went – as was his usual practice – to the Rockingham Arms, Wentworth and there had five pints of beer, which also was a usual thing for him to do. He was taken home in a friend’s car and as the car dew up in front of his friend’s home he noticed Dransfield standing against a nearby lamp-post. After an argument with Dransfield he went into his house and took his jacket off. He could hear Dransfield shouting “Come on, come on, let’s have you”. And he then saw Dransfield standing in the middle of the road with his jacket off,
Blows with Bat
Because of Dransfield’s threats to kill him and the knowledge that he was addicted to violence, he thought Dransfield might have a poker or bottle with him and he therefore went into the cellar and got his son’s cricket bat. He then went out into the street and he and Dransfield advanced towards each other. He hit Dransfield with the bat across the shoulders and he went down on his knees and he then hit him with the bat again. He never intended to hit him on the head he just wanted to put Dransfield “on the club” for a fortnight.
Mr. Lewis said that after Dransfield had been struck to the ground he was left lying there until he was taken into his mother’s house. It was quite clear, added Mr. Lewis, that the accused could have avoided any further trouble with Dransfield that night by merely going indoors and staying indoors. “We know that a cricket bat primarily is an inoffensive weapon, but put in the hands of a powerfully built man, a cricket bat can be a deadly weapon”. It was as a result of the injuries inflicted by the cricket bat that Dransfield died.
Dr. D. E. Price, Police Staff Surgeon, said that in his opinion the cause of death was shock and haemorrhage following a compound fracture of the skull.
Protected Woman
Questioned by Mr. Dunn, Pc Pearson said that it was within his knowledge that Dransfield was feared throughout the district and was likely to carry a weapon for the purpose of assault. Dransfield had even set fire to his own home and at the time of his death there were charges of violence outstanding against him. In April 1950, Dransfield assaulted a Mrs. Wildgoose on the Highway. Chapman had stopped the assault and a fight had ensued. Since then, Dransfield had been aggressively disposed towards the accused.
Mr. Herbert Arnold Sheader of High Street, West Melton, said that he saw Dransfield trying to protect his head with his arm when Chapman was hitting him with the cricket bat. Dransfield seemed to trip on the ground and fall to the ground. Mr. Richard Smith of Brampton Road, West Melton, told the Bench said that he saw Dransfield crouching on the road on his knees with his head down. Chapman struck him several blows with the bat.