Philip Jacobs

Philip Jacobs died from injuries received whilst trying to break up a fight at Sandown Park Racecourse on 12 March 1921.

He died sometime after from head injuries.

A 47-year-old bookmaker was tried for his manslaughter at the Old Bailey on 10 September 1921 but acquitted.

Philip Jacobs had been a commission agent.

The court heard that the bookmaker and another man had had a fight and that the struggle was so violent that Philip Jacobs had tried to part the combatants, but that the bookmaker had turned on him and dealt him a blow from which he died.

However, the bookmaker denied that he had been the man that had struck him.

One of the witnesses for the prosecution, a commission agent, said that whilst leaving the course, after the fight, he again saw the bookmaker, who told him he wanted some money, and that he was so afraid of him that he gave him £2. He said that the bookmaker then said:

The commission agent said that he had been so unnerved by the fight that he had not been to any race meetings since and instead had carried on business at home.

When asked, he said that he had not seen any chopper being used.

A doctor that examined Philip Jacobs said that the injury to his head had accelerated death, which was caused by syncope and chronic meningitis and that he was surprised that he had not died on 12 March 1921.

However, the jury found the bookmaker not guilty and he was discharged.