§ Mr. BOTTOMLEYasked whether the right hon. Gentleman's attention has been drawn to the case of Alfred Bransby Walter, a young man of twenty-five years of age, who has been confined at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum since the year 1902, when he was convicted of obtaining money by false pretences; whether he is aware that, upon his father's appeal, the recorder sent the lad to Broadmoor, despite the fact that Dr. Scott, the medical officer at Brixton Prison, who had him under observation prior to the trial, always maintained his sanity; and whether, seeing that Walter persists in maintaining that he is perfectly sane, he will cause inquiry to be made into the case?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThis young man was charged at the Central Criminal Court with forgery, and was found by a jury to be guilty of the offence, but insane when he committed it. The Recorder thereupon, as the statute requires, ordered him to be detained during His Majesty's pleasure, and he was removed to Broadmoor Asylum. The evidence given at the trial fully justified the view taken by the jury. The case has since received most careful consideration, and I find myself unable to take any other view than that the patient is still insane. Should any improvement in his condition manifest itself, the question of allowing his discharge from the asylum will arise, but at present there can be no question of this.