| Notes: | RMP. Died in UK 29/9/52 age 27 years, cause unknown, born 3/4/25.
Dennis Raymond Gott.
Extract from the Bradford Observer, 10/1052.
Inquest story of caravan death 'havoc.' A slender attractive 44 year old woman told the East Berkshire Coroner at the adjourned Ascot inquest yesterday on Military Police Sergeant Dennis Raymond Gott, who was found dead in a caravan, that after they had decided to live together he had threatened her and gone out of her life.
The woman was Mrs Iris Christine Franklin, who gave her address as High Street, Colchester and said she was separated from her husband.
Demanded Money - Mrs Franklin said she had needed to obtain some money and Gott was annoyed because she was a long time getting it.
She left him at her father's house while she went to her cousin's flat. Later Gott went to the flat and demanded to see her. I saw him. He was going to strike me, actually she said. He demanded money and she gave him £10. He asked for more but eventually left and she never saw him alive again.
Gott had told her that he was married and had a boy, but she understood that he was divorced.
The Coroner was told how Sgt Gott's body was found lying across the bed of Mrs Franklin's caravan at Englemere Farm.
Overdose of Tablets - Sgt R Hedges said that pinned to a cupboard was a letter addressed to "Mrs Christine Coningsby Franklin" at an address in Harrow. The trend of the letter was suicidal.
A public analyst's report said death was due to an overdose of Easton's Syrup Tablets, which contained strychnine.
I cannot but record a verdict that Sgt. Gott died from an overdose of these pills intentionally taken by him and that he committed suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed." said the Coroner.
Extract from the Wokingham Times, 17/10/52.
Caravan Suicide of Man from Korea. - Police Officers tells of scene of "Havoc" - Verdict as Ascot Inquest.
A verdict of "suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed" was returned at the resumed inquest at Ascot on Thursday of last week on Sgt. Dennis Raymond Gott, of the Royal Corps of Military Police who was found dead in a caravan at Ascot on Monday, September 29.
When the inquiry was opened on October 1, the cause of death could not be determined and the Coroner, Mr W C West, ordered an adjournment while certain organs were sent to the County Analyst. The Analyst';s report stated that death was due to an overdose of pills.
Dr. A M Whittington, of Ascot, said he was called to a caravan at Englemere Farm, Ascot, on September 29 and found across the bed, the body of a man in underclothes, with pyjamas on top. A superficial examination revealed hemorratic areas around the neck and there were early signs of putrefacation in the abdomen.
Died seven days. In his opinion the man had been dead at least seven days. There was nothing extraordinary, except the area around the neck. He could not give a cause of death.
Dr Eric Sale, Pathologist at the Kind Edward VII hospital. Windsor, said he carried out a post mortem examination. Gott had been in good physical health, There were one or two abrasions over the left collar bone, produced very shortly before death and possibly caused by finger nails.
Gott appeared to have made a number of feeble attempts to sever the blood vessels of the left wrist and below the left elbow, continued Dr Sale. There was no evidence of say naturally occurring disease which could have caused death.
Strychnine in pills - "The further end of the stomach showed minor signs of irritation and I came to the conclusion that death was almost certainly due to poisoning. Certain contents of the body were submitted for analysis". The Coroner: Do Easton's pills contain strychnine? Dr Sale: Yes, Mr Charles James Turner, of Englemere Farm gave evidence that on August 26 a Mrs Franklin arranged for a caravan on a site at his fam. She said she had come from Cranbourne Hall, Winkfield as her husband wanted to catch a train every day from the station. She paid a week's rent in advance and later on rent for one month. She was not accompanied and he saw her about once after that.
Phoned the Police.
At 4pm on September 29, continued Mr Turner a man came up to him in his yard ans asked where the caravan was, saying he had all the papers, that it belonged to him and that he had let it to Mrs. Franklin
"I went with him and he said he would look inside before removing to to Colchester". said Mr Turner. "He forced the window and looked inside and remarked that it was 'in a bit of a mess'. I looked in and saw a man on the bed with his head underneath the window. I then rang the police."
Great Havoc.
Police Sgt R A Hedges of Ascot said that at 4.17 pm on that day he went to the side and saw a man who stated that he was the owner of the caravan. He was Leonard George Gibbs, of 70a high Street, Colchester. The officer looked in the window and immediately underneath lying at right angles was the body of a man. he opened the door after some difficulty and saw that the man was wearing a red dressing gown over pyjamas and underwear. There was considerable discolouration t9o the face
and upper part of the chest and it appeared that the man had been dead some days.
While waiting for Dr. Whittington he noticed a piece of wood, around which was a piece of string with a running noose. It was on the bed to the left hand of the dead man.
Razor Blade.
Pinned to a cupboard was a letter in an unopened envelope addressed to a Mrs. Christine Franklin at Harrow and the trend of the letter was suicidal.
There was great havoc in the caravan. There were many photographs, apparently of a woman, all of which had been maltreated and half the heads and faces entirely removed", continued Police Sgt Hedges. a pair of sandal slippers had the straps severed.
There were several letters on the table most of which were addressed to Christine in affectionate terms
A musical box was completely smashed and near the body was a scalpel. Later a blood stained razor blade was found on the bed.
Wollman's evidence.
Iris Christine Franklin of the High Street, Colchester told the Coroner that she was married and was separated from her husband. She first knew Gott when he was stationed at Colchester. he was a frequent customer at the cafe where she was manageress.
He went to Korea in October 1950 and they corresponded occasionally while he was away. The next she saw of him was in February this year when he turned up at the cafe.
The Coroner: Did your relationship in February this hasten any affection ? Mrs Franklin: No., He used to come into the shop almost every day. Mrs Franklin identified a photograph produced as being one of herself and Gott on her cousin's wedding day. She had a business difference with Mr Gibbs in June and after leaving his employ went to live in a caravan at Roydon, Herts. The caravan was rented from Gibbs for 10s a week.
Lived Together.
She stayed in the caravan at Roydon until August 18 and then moved to Cranbourne Hall. Gott had expressed his affection for her while at Roydon and when the caravan was moved to Cranbourne Hall they decided to live together. They later moved to Ascot, as it was more convenient for Gott to catch trains to Aldershot.
They stayed at Englemere Farm together until September 18, when they both went to Harrow so that she could obtain some money and see her father.
In answer to the Coroner, Mrs. Franklin said Gott had been on leave from September 9 and had no money. They went to the Post office at Harrow and after getting the money, went on to her father's house. While there Mrs Franklin's cousin brought her a message from Gibbs and she went to her cousin's flat where she knew she would see Gibbs.
Threats and Money.
Gott was annoyed about this and demanded to see her. "He threatened me and demanded money. I gave him £10. Actually he asked for more but I hadn't got it. he eventually left the flat and I never saw him again alive." added Mrs Franklin.
Answering further questions by the Coroner, Mrs. Franklin said she believed Gott suffered fro a stomach complaint. She had bought a bottle of Easton's pills. She took them some months ago for her nerves and several were left in the caravan.
The Coroner: Do you know they contain iron phosphate, with quinine and strychnine? - Yes. Did he ever threaten suicide? he never threatened suicide in my presence.
Decided to End It.
Did you know he was a married man? - Yes, I understood he was divorced.
Asked if she knew Gott's age, Mrs Franklin replied " I am 44 and quite candidly I found in the relationship that he was so much younger than I that I decided to end it."
A note was produced and Mrs Franklin said she recognized the writing as Gott's The Coroner: You have never seen this note have you? Mrs Franklin no.
After reading the analyst's report which stated that Gott took a "total dose of not less that 50 pills." the Coroner observed that the letter left by Gott stated that the quarrel upset him so much that he thought "it was the end of everything" and committed suicide.
|
