Thomas Bett Gell

Died

15 October 1876

Age

Rank

Parish Constable

Force

Parish of Hemingby

Cause

Homicide - Beaten

Duty Status

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Died having been repeatedly struck on the head by the assailant after assisting a woman being attacked by her son.

Roll of Honour Citation

Died having been repeatedly struck on the head by the assailant after assisting a woman being attacked by her son.

Circumstances

Having gone to the assistance of a woman being attacked by her son late in the evening, he was repeatedly struck on the head with a rail by the man and received severe head injuries from which he died early the next day.

After responding to early morning shouts of “Murder!” Parish Constable Gell and several other men managed to disarm a man who, having already knocked his mother to the floor, was about to cut her throat.

With help from two of the men, Thomas then cleared everybody from the house before realising that the son was chasing after the three men. Two of them managed to elude the assailant but he caught Constable Gell and repeatedly struck him on the head with a cudgel.

Another officer soon arrived and managed to secure the woman’s son but Thomas died about an hour later.