In 1885 pitman Thomas Smith and his girlfriend Edith Dyer had been living together in Sunderland for 12 happy months, however later that year Thomas lost his job. Needing money Edith's mother advised the couple to sell their worldly goods, the goods were quickly followed by Edith who went home to her mother in Hetton. This left Thomas with no job, money, furniture and now no girlfriend. After a few days of brooding with anger and resentment Thomas made his way to Hetton and forced his way into the Dyers home, where he started to slash the throats of three of the females of the household. Edith escaped to a neighbours house where Thomas, now a mad man would no doubt have killed her if help had not arrived.
After being charged with attempted triple murder and taken to court the defence lawyer told the judge that, Thomas had been happy before losing his job. Also Thomas resented Edith's mother and blamed her for Edith leaving him. A plea for clemency was made on the grounds that Thomas was acting under an aberration, this was rejected and Thomas was sentenced to seven years.
