The story of a 'heinous' crowbar attack on a young woman

She had been apprenticed to a dressmaker, Mrs Maddocks in High St, and on leaving each day, she would cycle home. On Monday, January 12, 1914, she had left work at about 8pm and set off for home.

As usual, she cycled down Woodford Lane, Hebden Lane and into Oakes’s Lane (to give an idea of these locations today – Woodford Lane is split by the dual carriageway and becomes Woodford Lane West, continuing until it reached the junction with Blakeden Lane crossroads, where it joined Blakeden Lane and Oakes’s Lane).

Oakes’s Lane was a continuation of Blakeden Lane and was probably named after the Oakes’s of Pool Head Farm where Kathleen lived.

What was known as Oakes's Lane

One of the fields between there and the farm was known as Whitney’s field, and

When she reached Whitney’s field, she saw the defendant John William Prince walking towards her along the narrow cinder path.

She rang the bell on her bike, but he did not get out of the way. As he drew level with her, he hit her with an iron bar on the head, and she fell from her bike.

He fell on top of her, but she managed to get up and run off. She screamed as Prince ran after her, and she tripped and fell, giving him time to catch up.

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up, dragging her to a pit in the field. She asked where he was taking her, and he told her that he was taking her home.

She pleaded with him offering him her watch and bike, but he said he didn’t want it.

Kathleen Oakes

He still had the iron bar in his hand, and she grabbed hold of it. He warned her that if she didn’t let go, he would kick her to death. He pulled the bar away from her and hit her with it again.

He threw her to the ground, and she noticed that her head was bleeding badly; Prince hit her about the head again with the iron bar – later found to be a heavy crowbar.

He threatened to leave her there to die but started to tear off her clothing and attempted to ‘assault’ her.

She managed to struggle free and escape through a fence, running off carrying the clothes he had torn off her.

On the way home, she met a man called William Stanley who took her to her home with her bike. She arrived covered in blood and carrying some of her clothes.

John William Prince

Dr Okell was called to treat her, and he found many injuries to her head penetrating to the skull and other injuries to her arms and body, including broken fingers.

The prisoner Prince was arrested the following day, hiding in a hayloft. When apprehended by PC McMorine, he said, “It’s alright, my mind was a complete blank; I hope you will hang me tomorrow.”

John William Prince, a farm labourer aged 30 years, lived with his sister Catherine Dunning and her family at 85 Woodford Lane, Over. On the day of the offence, he had been drinking in the George and Dragon and the Wheatsheaf in Delamere Street.

He was sent to Knutsford Gaol to await court. When his actions became known, there was much interest.

It started on the way back from Knutsford to be placed before the Court for Committal Proceedings. There was a change of trains at Cuddington, where many people had gathered.

Then he was taken off at Whitegate station and continued the journey from there in a sealed car. Again a big crowd had gathered at the Winsford Court.

There were six magistrates, and the Chief Constable on the bench and the Deputy Chief Constable was at the solicitor’s table. Because of the delicate nature of her evidence, the court was cleared when Kathleen Oakes entered the box.

Winsford old police station

Prince was committed to Chester Assize Court for trial on offences of attempted murder and attempting to ‘ravish’ Kathleen Muriel Oakes.

At Chester Assize Court on February 27, 1914, he was convicted of attempted murder and the offence of attempted ravishing was not proceeded with, but it was to remain on file.

The judge sentenced him to 15 years penal servitude adding that he would have also liked to sentence him to be whipped for such a heinous crime.

Mr Justice Avory said: “But in my opinion, such a man who can resort to such violence with such a weapon for the purpose of gratifying a momentary and filthy lust is not safe to be at large at all events till such a time as all such ideas have passed away from him.”