Patrick Walter Hayes

Patrick Walter Hayes died from injuries that he received at his home at 48 Campbell Road in Finsbury Park, London.

He died from a fracture to the right side of his skull and laceration of the brain caused by blows from a blunt instrument. Another 9 week old infant child was also found injured.

A 22-year-old seaman was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder but he said that he knew nothing about the matter.

It was reported that when the seaman was placed in the dock at the magistrates hearing that he had been behaving strangely and the court was informed that he had been eating flies and sawdust.

The seaman was tried for murder on 19 January 1912 but the judge ruled that certain evidence was not admissible and a formal not guilty verdict was returned. However, he was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to another 9 week old child that had been living in the house and he was sentenced to 12 months' hard labour.

Patrick Hayes had lived with his parents at 48 Campbell Road and his father was a licensed pedlar. The seaman had also lived at the same address.

Patrick Hayes's mother said that Patrick Hayes had been born prematurely but had been otherwise healthy and was quite well when she put him to bed on the Saturday night in the top back room at about 11.45pm.

She said that she then went to the street door to ascertain the time, stating that she closed the door but didn't lock it, noting that there had been no one else in the room. She said that she stayed at the street door for about ten minutes and that when she went back up that she found the door shut just as she had left it. She said that there had also been a lamp burning in the room, the same as when she left it and that she then went to have a look at Patrick Hayes as she frequently did and noticed blood on him.

She said that when she then took Patrick Hayes that she noted that his eyes were fixed and that his breathing was laboured.

She said that she didn't notice any injury about him and that she then took him to another lodger and showed him to her and said that the other lodger  then advised her to take him to a doctor. The doctor then advised that she take Patrick Hayes to the hospital and Patrick Hayes's mother then went home and got her husband but when they got back to the doctors the doctor told them that there was no hope for Patrick Hayes and advised them to take him home which they did, but they found that when they got home that Patrick Hayes was dead, saying that he probably died in his father's arms.

The woman that Patrick Hayes mother had gone to see about Patrick Hayes was the wife of an electroplater and had occupied the second floor front room whilst her son had occupied the smaller room. She said that on the evening of Saturday 21 October 1911 that she and her husband had gone into Patrick Hayes's mother's room and whilst there played the mouth organ to Patrick Hayes. She said that she was so fond of Patrick Hayes that she took him from his mother's arms and nursed him and that her husband sent for a pint and a half of ale which they shared between them.

She said that they were there for about 20 minutes and that she handed Patrick Hayes back to his mother and kissed him and said, 'Good night, little Patsie', and that after that she and her husband went back to their own room. She said that she wasn't feeling very well and that she went to bed and that her son also went to his room and locked the door, noting that he always locked it because it was an open house. She said that it was about 10pm, noting that they always went to bed early and that she went to sleep.

However, she said that she was woken up some time later by Patrick Hayes's mother knocking at her door and could hear her crying on the landing. She said that when she entered the room that Patrick Hayes's mother said to her, 'Look at my poor Patsie', and said that when she looked at him she saw that there was a little blood coming from his nose and that his head was hanging a little on one side as if he was lifeless. She said that she told Patrick Hayes's mother to take Patrick Hayes to a doctor at once thinking that he had had a fit and would die in her arms and said that Patrick Hayes's mother then ran off down the stairs crying and screaming. She said that she then woke her husband up and said to him, 'Poor little Patsie. What a shame' and that she then went back to bed.

She said that she had heard Patrick Hayes's mother and father arguing earlier in the evening at about 9pm, saying that she heard Patrick Hayes's mother saying, 'Don't beat me, Patsie. You starve me all day. And don't give me anything till the last thing at night', noting that she could hear Patrick Hayes crying.

When the police went to the room they found no evidence of blood in the room .

At the inquest, the seaman's mother shouted out, 'It is a disorderly house. The door is open all night', but the Coroner told her not to make such statements and told her that she had to be quiet or leave the court.

A musician that had also lived in the house said that at the time he had occupied a first floor back room and that he and his wife returned at about 9.45pm and soon went to sleep and that he heard no noise or disturbance during the night. He added that he had heard of no threats to injure Patrick Hayes as he knew no one else in the house.

Campbell Road was later renamed Whadcoat Street but has since been demolished and redeveloped. The street, which was built in 1865 was said to have had a bad reputation for crime from the start with many of the houses being sublet and turned into doss houses. 47 Campbell Road had been a licensed lodging house for 90 men and was described as the first of many in the street. The name of the street was changed to Whadcoat Street in 1937 in an attempt to dilute its bad reputation and slum clearance began in 1952 with the area being replaced with the Six Acre council estate. Campbell Road was described as the worst street in north London and gave birth to the term, a 'Campbell Bunk', which meant to 'get away with it'.