By Tim Lambert
Eric Brown killed his father. He used a most unusual murder weapon, a landmine. Eric lived with his father, Archibald, and his mother, Doris. His father was partially paralysed and used a wheelchair. He was a bully who ruled over his family with an iron rod.
His wheelchair was kept in an air raid shelter in the garden. On 23 July 1943, a nurse, Doris Mitchell, went to fetch it but found it locked. Eric emerged from the air raid shelter. Doris then got the wheelchair and took Archibald for a walk. After a while, she lit a cigarette for Archibald, but as he made himself comfortable, there was an explosion. Nurse Mitchell survived without serious injuries, but Archibald Brown was blown to pieces. The blast was caused by a type of mine used to destroy tanks. It had exploded two feet above the ground. The police surmised it had been placed under the cushion Archibald was sitting on.
They soon found that Eric had learned about this type of mine while in the army. He was on leave when his father was killed, and he had been seen in the air raid shelter. Eric soon confessed. He was brought to trial on 4 November 1943, but a doctor testified that he was a schizophrenic. The jury found him guilty of murder but insane. Eric was sentenced to be detained during his majesty’s pleasure. He died in 1975.
