Death by Chloroform
| Date | 01 October 1984 |
| Author | P. Farrow |
| Published date | 01 October 1984 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8405700406 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
P.
FARROW
(Ex Detective ChiefInspector. Essex Police)
DEATH BY
CHLOROFORM
On March 12, 1984, David Harvey, aged 44 years, a biological
chemist employed by Marconi Limited was arraigned before Mr.
Justice Mann at Chelmsford Crown Court where he pleaded not
guilty to two charges, namely
(I)
the murder of Mrs. Betty Amor on or about February 22,
1983,
and
(2) administering anoxious thing, namely chloroform, with
intent to endanger life.
The trial lasted until March22,1984, when the juryreturned a verdict
of not guilty to murder, but guilty of manslaughter. The second
charge was ordered to remain on the file and not to be proceeded with
without leave of the court. The case contained anumber of unusual
features which should prove to be of great interest to those concerned
with crime and criminals; the events leading up to Harvey's
appearance in court are as follows:
He is a divorced man, the divorce having been made absolute in
May, 1982, prior to which he had been separated from his wife for
several years.
In May, 1980, he went to live with a woman at a village in Essex
where he remained for the next two years, until she married another
man and Harvey had to vacate the house.
It was then
that
he met Mrs. Betty Amor, the mother
ofa
grown up
son and daughter, who herself had been separated from her husband
for 17 years. She was a likeable woman and was secretary of
W.A.D.S., a meeting club for divorced and separated persons at
Witham, which used to hold meetings and social evenings at the
SpringLodge Community Centrethere. It was at such a meeting that
Harvey met her and very soon went to live with her at her one
bedroom house at Witham. Both seemed quite happy together and
there was talk that Mrs. Amor wanted to marry him, but one must
bearin mind the difference in their ages, she being 10 years older
than
him. Although he had had open heart surgery Harvey was a very fit
man who spent a lot of time every day swimming, playingsquash and
training with weights. He was not an excessive drinker and neither
was she.
On the night of Monday, February 21, 1983, Harvey and Mrs.
Amor went to Spring Lodge Community Centre, where they had a
few drinks and
both
arrived home
around
9.15 p.m. when Harvey
prepared a meal. He was due to leave next morning, with two of his
colleagues, to go to Manchester University on a project for their firm.
Harvey left home for work at 7.30 a.m. as planned and all three
October /984 347
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