Death of Jack Avery

Sgt. Jack William Avery (5 November 1911 – 6 July 1940) was a British War Reserve Constable who was murdered in Hyde Park, London, having served less than one year with the Metropolitan Police Service.

Jack Avery
Born
Jack William Avery

5 November 1911[1]
Bromley, London, England
Died6 July 1940 (aged 28)
St. Mary's Hospital, London, England, U.K.
Police career
DepartmentMetropolitan Police Service
RankSergeant
Badge no.890A

On 5 July, Sgt. Avery was advised by a member of the public that Frank Stephen Cobbett was acting suspiciously. Avery approached Cobbett, who was lying on the grass and writing on a piece of paper, and took the paper from him. Avery returned the paper to Cobbett, who stabbed the officer in the groin or upper thigh with a carving knife. Avery died the next day.[2] Cobbett, a 42-year-old homeless labourer, was originally sentenced to death by Mr. Justice Atkinson, even though the jury strongly recommended mercy because of his "low mentality."[3] After an appeal, Cobbett served 15 years' penal servitude for manslaughter instead.[4][5]

In 2007, Ian Blair, then Metropolitan Police Commissioner, unveiled a memorial to Avery in Hyde Park, close to the place where he was attacked.[6]

See also

References
  1. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917
  2. "Stabbing of Police Officer – Manslaughter Verdict Substituted". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 13 August 1940. p. 9.
  3. "News in Brief". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 23 July 1940. p. 2.
  4. "BBC NEWS - UK - England - London - Bid to trace police war officer". Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  5. "Jack William Avery". London Remembers. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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