73. Mr. MONTAGUE BARLOWasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now been able to consider the case of Alice Broughton, who, on 18th February, was convicted at the Manchester Assizes and sentenced to three years' penal servitude for throwing vitriol; whether he is aware that she acted under great provocation, as her husband was then, and is said to be still, living with the woman she assaulted; and whether, seeing that she has always borne an excellent character and kept the home together, and brought up the child, he can see his way to reconsider the case with a view to a remission of a portion of the sentence?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. McKenna)I have considered this case very carefully. The offence was a most serious one, and the judge in passing so lenient a sentence must have taken account of all extenuating circumstances. I regret that I find no ground to justify departure from the decision which I communicated to the hon. Member in April last.
Mr. BARLOWIs the Home Secretary aware that on 20th July, 1913, a precisely similar case of a Mrs. Haddon came before the Assize judge at Birmingham, being a case of wounding by shooting, and the judge inflicted only eight days' penalty, which meant that the woman was discharged at once?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt is quite possible, but the cases were not at all similar.