John Leech

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 8th July 2021

John Leach - 7 March 1829 - Hanged at Hobart for the murder of his common-law wife Refer; Elizabeth Perkins. Per Ship; Friendship; 1818 -John Leach was executed. Court record SC32-1-1 pg 346, 7 March 1829. Guilty. Death - to be hanged. Aged 41 yrs. Death reg. 34/1/1 no. 1924. John Leach. No; 5. Ship; To NSW per Marquis of Wellington & Kargaroo - 1816 Trial; Norfolk - 19 March 1813 - Sentence; Life Trade; Boat Builder EXECUTION. On Saturday last John Leach was tried and found guilty of the murder of the unfortunate woman with whom he had lived for the last 10 years. The painful circumstances of the murder were sufficiently detailed in our journal at the time. Leach was on the whole an industrious character and had obtained not long ago, the indulgence of a ticket of leave in reward of his good conduct and services in the public works as a boat builder and carpenter. He cohabited, however, with this woman, with whom it appears he was not married, and latterly she had become so great a slave to drunkenness, that she grew callous to the relative duties she owed to him on the labour of whose hands she depended for support. Whilst he was absent at his labour during the day, she would sell every moveable she could in order to obtain money to expend in drink. She actually on one occasion took out some salted meat from a cask and pawned for this purpose, to such a state of debasement does the passion of drink reduce the human mind. Leach, therefore on his return home, used to find his house dreary and comfortless, until at last, on the day of the murder, on his return from Cove point, where he was at work, finding his home in this desolate state, and being himself intoxicated, he gave way to the dreadful rage under the influence of which be committed the fatal act. After the verdict of guilty had been returned, being asked what he had to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon him according to law, he said "nothing ". His Honor the Chief Justice then addresssed him in nearly the following words :-John Leach, you have this day been found guilty of the crime of murder, and that on a female with whom you have been living in a state of adultery for a number of years, which makes your sins the greater. You have had a patient and impartial trial, and the jury have very justly, in my opinion, found you guilty. I think it necessary to tell you that, during the absence of the jury, a circumstance which I had forgotten in my summing up occurred to me (and I was fearful that I had addressed them in too favourable a light as to your guilt) but I see although I passed over it, they have no doubt taken notice of it-it is this a witness has sworn positively that for half an hour while you were inflicting the blows on the unfortunate woman, she was heard to say to you " John don't do so, or you will murder me "-and that after her cries had ceased, the blows were continued for ten or fifteen minutes. You have pleaded in your defence that you were drunk and did not know what you were doing. (Here His Honor, much affected, addressed himself to all within the court, which was much crowded, and hoped they would see by the fate of the prisoner, the dreadful effects of drunkenness.) His Honor then told the prisoner that he was bound by the law to allow him only a few hours to live, he requested him earnestly to apply for pardon to the Judge of Judges, of whom only he could expect mercy. Though this unfortunate man had committed the horrible crime of murder, in a most brutal and aggravated manner, his character is not to be compared with those of the two dreadful men, Salmon and Brown, executed last week. From the moment of his committing the horrid deed, he seemed to have resigned himself to his fate. He prayed for mercy in all the mental agony of miserable men about to die ; and on the morning of his suffering he was so deeply affected that his limbs as they shook beneath him could scarcely bear him to the gallows. A few seconds put a period to his existence on this earth, and his body like those of the murderers executed the week before, was carried to the hospital in a cart for dissection.

343

Maureen Withey on 23rd November 2019

Monday last, was committed to the County Gaol, by J. Postle, Esq. John Leech, charged with having stolen a Mare, property of Plumpton, of Colney. Norfolk Chronicle, 5 Feb 1814 At these Assizes, two prisoners were capitally convicted and received sentence of death, viz. Thomas Crane, aged 30, for stealing six sacks wheat, two horses, a cart and harness, the property Mr. James Hayward, of Frettenham and John Leech, aged 25, for stealing a bay mare, the property of Nath. Plumpton, of Colney.—Both reprieved. Norfolk Chronicle, 25 March 1814. John Leech was on a List of 40 male convicts embarked on the Brig Kangaroo for the Derwent. 13th April 1816. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON13-1-1$init=CON13-1-1p57 No. 27, John Leech, Marquis of Wellington, Convicted at Norfolk, 19 March 1814, Sentence – Life, trade – boat builder.