HC Deb 30 July 1925 vol 187 cc669-71W
Major GLYN

asked the Home Secretary in how many cases have coroners' juries brought in verdicts of murder where no suicide is connected with the crime during the last 12 months and since 1919, respectively, and in how many cases have persons been brought to justice and convicted; how many have been sentenced to death; how many have been reprieved; how many detained during His Maejsty's pleasure in a criminal asylum; how many sentenced to terms of imprisonment: and how many persons are there who have been able to elude the police after warrants of arrest for murder have been issued, the figures for the two periods, respectively, in each case to be given?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

The following are the figures asked for as far as they are available:

1924. 1919–1924.
Number of cases in which coroners' juries brought in verdicts of murder where no suicide was connected with the crime 105 827
Number of persons charged with murder who were ordered to be detained during His Majesty's pleasure:
(a) Found insane upon arraignment 3 48
(b) Found guilty but insane 14 87
Number of cases in which persons have been brought to justice and convicted of murder 14 141*
Number of persons reprieved:
Sentence commuted to penal servitude for life 3 52
Respited and removed to a criminal lunatic asylum 7
Conviction quashed by Court of Criminal Appeal and conviction for manslaughter substituted 1 2
* Including five persons under 16, sentenced to be detained during His Majesty's pleasure (Children Act, 1908, s 103).

Great care is necessary in drawing any conclusion from these figures, as will be seen from the more detailed figures for the years 1912–1913 and 1920–1921, which were published as a Parliamentary Paper in 1922 (Cd. 1787).

As regards the last part of the question, no figures are available and prolonged inquiry would be necessary to obtain them. I am glad to say that the number of murderers who elude the police continues to be very small.