Pc's killing the second in county

After the tragic killing of Pc Gray, readers may have wondered how often such a thing happens in Shropshire. The answer is that the current case is only the second.

On January 2, 1849, Police Constable John Micklewright received a message at his home, Cross Houses police station, to say that trouble was expected at the Stags Head Inn, Acton Burnell.

He walked to Acton Burnell and arrived at the inn at about 6pm. He had taken his supper with him, and consumed it during the evening in the pub's kitchen with half a pint of ale.

At about 11pm, trouble started in the inn and continued into the street after Micklewright cleared the premises.

Local labourer, Charles Colley, 40, was very drunk and quarrelsome. He would not go home when the officer told him to, and a struggle took place between the two. Colley jumped on Micklewright, breaking his leg.

This was, of course, long before telephones and ambulances. Micklewright was treated by a local doctor and eventually admitted to the Shrewsbury Infirmary, where he died of his injury 15 days later.

Colley was tried with murder, with manslaughter as an alternative. The jury took two minutes to convict Colley of manslaughter and the judge commented that they had taken a very favourable view of the case. Favourable or not, Colley was sentenced to 10 years' transportation.

There was no compensation, social security or pension, and the officer's wife had to go into the workhouse where she eventually died.

Shean Bostock, Madeley