Death of Jack Avery
Sgt. Jack William Avery (5 November 1911 – 6 July 1940) was a British War Reserve Constable who was murdered in Hyde Park, London, having served less than one year with the Metropolitan Police Service.
Jack Avery | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jack William Avery 5 November 1911[1] Bromley, London, England |
| Died | 6 July 1940 (aged 28) St. Mary's Hospital, London, England, U.K. |
| Police career | |
| Department | Metropolitan Police Service |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Badge no. | 890A |
On 5 July, Sgt. Avery was advised by a member of the public that Frank Stephen Cobbett was acting suspiciously. Avery approached Cobbett, who was lying on the grass and writing on a piece of paper, and took the paper from him. Avery returned the paper to Cobbett, who stabbed the officer in the groin or upper thigh with a carving knife. Avery died the next day.[2] Cobbett, a 42-year-old homeless labourer, was originally sentenced to death by Mr. Justice Atkinson, even though the jury strongly recommended mercy because of his "low mentality."[3] After an appeal, Cobbett served 15 years' penal servitude for manslaughter instead.[4][5]
In 2007, Ian Blair, then Metropolitan Police Commissioner, unveiled a memorial to Avery in Hyde Park, close to the place where he was attacked.[6]
References
- London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917
- "Stabbing of Police Officer – Manslaughter Verdict Substituted". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 13 August 1940. p. 9.
- "News in Brief". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 23 July 1940. p. 2.
- "BBC NEWS - UK - England - London - Bid to trace police war officer". Retrieved 12 December 2016.
- "Jack William Avery". London Remembers. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)