Iron bar murder
Detail from Schizophrenia
By Darryl Leja,
National Human Genome Research Institute Via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Iron bar murder of Spaniard alleged
The Times 29 March 1967
A Spanish hospital worker was killed by a man with a 15in. (≅ 38cm) iron bar, part of weightlifting equipment, it was alleged at Epsom Magistrates’ Court, Surrey, yesterday when William Thomas Doyle, aged 20, of Horton Hospital, Epsom, was charged with murdering Antonio Cano Gonzales on February 11.
Mr. Brian Cooke, for the prosecution, said that Doyle had been in a mental hospital and had been taking drugs but there was no suggestion that the offence was committed while he was under their influence.
Mr. Cooke said that after taking a taxi from London to Epsom and threatening the driver with the iron bar, Doyle went into Miles Road and knocked at a door, which was opened by Mr. Gonzales. Doyle struck him 16 blows with the bar and took a cigarette lighter and a watch “.
Mr. Cooke said that when charged with murder Doyle replied: “I am completely guilty as far as I know.” Doyle was sent to the next Surrey Assizes for trial.
The Times 15 May 1967
TRANSFERRED MAN ACCUSED OF MURDER
BROADMOOR MOVE INQUIRY,
BY A STAFF REPORTER.
Ministry of health officials are to study the reasons why a man who was charged with murder last week had been transferred from Broadmoor* to an ordinary mental hospital. It is thought unlikely that the study will lead to largescale tightening of the rules, but lessons may be learnt from it.
The man, William Thomas Doyle, aged 21, was found unfit to plead when he appeared at Sussex Assizes, Lewes. charged with the murder of Antonio Cano Gonzales at Epsom on February 11. Mr. Tudor Evans, Q.C. for the prosecution, said there was medical evidence to show that Mr. Doyle was not fit to stand trial.
Mr. Doyle was in Broadmoor when in April last year the medical authorities recommended that he was, no longer a security hazard and that he should be transferred to an ordinary mental hospital.
The Ministry of Health said last night: ” The circumstances of the decision to transfer the patient in this case will again be reviewed but no approach has been made to the Minister for a general review of the situation and arrangements for transfer or discharge of patients from special hospitals.” At last week’s court hearing, Dr. Harold Terry. senior medical officer at Brixton prison, said he had examined Mr. Doyle and had seen various reports about his previous medical history. There had been a longish history of mental trouble and Mr. Doyle had absconded from a mental institution only one or two days before the alleged offence.
Dr. Terry said be had seen Mr. Doyle every day since February 14 and it had been impossible to engage him in a rational form of conversation. His condition had gradually deteriorated. When Dr. Terry went to see him in response to a message, Mr. Doyle’s conversation rambled after a quarter of an hour and he could not tell Dr. Terry why he wanted to see him. Mr. Doyle was a schizophrenic and was, in Dr. Terry’s opinion. not in a fit state to plead or stand trial.
Dr. Gerald Arnold Low-Beer, an Epsom psychiatrist, said he had known the man since 1962 and he confirmed Dr. Terry’s opinion.
Judge’s direction
On the direction of Mr. Justice Mocatta, the jury found Mr. Doyle unfit to plead. The judge made an order that he should go to hospital and be detained in custody until such admission was possible.
He added: “I hope very much, Doyle, the doctors will be able to help you with your illness.”
Mr. Doyle has now returned to Broadmoor.
The Home Office said last night, “It is entirely a Ministry of Health matter. The decision to free the man was taken by the managers of Broadmoor.”
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* In 1962 Doyle was sent to Broadmoor following a robbery and a serious assault on a policeman.
The Times 17 October 1967
MURDER BY REQUEST,
MAGISTRATES TOLD
A Broadmoor patient who was alleged at Bracknell Magistrates’ Court, Berkshire, yesterday to have told a psychiatrist that he strangled a fellow patient at the dead man’s request, was sent for trial to Oxford Assizes, starting on November 13.
Alan Patrick Reeve, aged 18, was charged with the murder of William Doyle, aged 21, while both were patients at Broadmoor Hospital on Saturday, September 9. He pleaded Not Guilty and reserved his defence.
Dr. Edgar Udwin, a Broadmoor psychiatrist, said that, in an interview after Mr. Doyle’s death, Mr. Reeve claimed that Mr. Doyle had approached him a number of times. ” because it was known he had attempted to strangle someone and Doyle wanted to die.”
Professor Keith Simpson, pathologist, said death was from asphyxia. due to constriction of the throat. Points made in an alleged statement by Mr. Reeve were consistent with the medical evidence and there was no sign of a struggle. There was no question of suicide, Professor Simpson added.
In cross examination, Professor Simpson said that if there was no sound and there was not a struggle it would indicate that Mr. Doyle was cooperating or submitting when killed.
Mr. Reeve added that he demurred at first, because his left arm was in no fit state to use, due to a burn Dr. Udwin added: ” Reeve said however, they had decided on Saturday after lunch to do this. They had gone to the toilet.”
Six days later, on September 21, Mr. Reeve told him there had been a lookout man in the lavatory at the time. Mr. Reeve had said that the lookout did not know that he (Mr. Reeve) intended killing Mr. Doyle, or that Mr. Doyle intended being killed.
“Reeve said that this patient thought purely that Reeve was to produce unconsciousness for kicks in the same way as he had done for another patient.”
Earlier in his evidence, Dr. Udwin said that Mr. Doyle had swallowed a table knife on August 12 and an operation was performed to remove it.
Cross-examined by Mr. Michael Wright, for Mr. Reeve, Dr. Udwin said that Mr. Doyle was in Broadmoor after being found unfit to plead at a criminal court some months before. Mr. Doyle suffered from mental illness within the meaning of the Mental Health Act. It was a manifestation of that illness that he was of a suicidal nature. Before the table knife incident, Doyle had made a previous attempt on his life.
Dr. Udwin said Reeve’s condition was such that his mental responsibility for his act was substantially impaired.
Webmaster’s note
Alan Patrick Reeve (Unknown date)
Source: Thought to be taken at Broadmoor Hospital
On October 15th, 1964, Reeve was convicted in Britain of the manslaughter of a 15-year-old youth and sent to Broadmoor Hospital without a limit on his detention. Following the 1967 manslaughter (on grounds of diminished responsibility) of Doyle, Reeve next came to public attention when in August 1981 he escaped from Broadmoor to live in Amsterdam. A year later Reeve shot and killed a Dutch police officer and seriously injured another after attempting to rob an off-licence. After serving his time in Holland, Doyle went to live in Cork, Eire. He was then extradited to England to serve some more time in Broadmoor but was released and returned to Eire.
Peter Reed 2022