UK Guillotine horror: Builder is beheaded (sleeping under it)

icNewcastle ^ | January 15 2003 | Brenda Hickman/The Evening Chronicle

[knighthawk]

Investigations were under way today into the horrific death of a man who was beheaded by a home-made guillotine.

The shocking discovery was made by the 36-year-old's father after he returned home from work.

Robert Taylor pushed open the bedroom door and found his son, Boyd, lying in a pool of blood.

Mr Taylor who worked with his father as well-respected builders, died when the blade mechanism activated in the early hours of Monday.

His distraught father alerted police in the afternoon. He had not been able to get an answer from his son when he set off for work in the morning but returned to find the body in the bedroom.

Police officers were alerted and went to Shortridge, the name of the home the father and son shared in the remote hamlet of Milbourne, near Ponteland, Northumberland

A police spokesman confirmed: "We're investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 36-year-old man found at his home on Monday afternoon.

"There are no suspicious circumstances.

"Further inquiries are being made into the man's background and events which led up to the death.

"A report is being compiled for the coroner."

It is understood Mr Taylor's death is being treated as a bizarre suicide, but police are trying to establish whether the guillotine fell as a result of an accident.

The machine was said to have been modelled on the execution device used during the French Revolution.

It is believed the victim had spent time building the 8ft by 3ft construction, which had a blade attached to a network of wooden planks and levers, and was weighed down by paving stones.

The mechanism was timed to send the blade crashing down in the early hours, at about 3.30am.

It is believed Mr Taylor was lying on an airbed underneath the guillotine.

One Milbourne couple who had had work done on their house by the Taylors, said: "This is awful. The father will be devastated because for years it's just been the two of them living and working together. Their work was exceptional."

Another customer in the nearby Highlander pub, said: "It's a shock to hear about this, especially that it is the son. The father was a bit of a loner and I knew them by sight, but they kept themselves to themselves."

One local said: "It was just the two of them living in that bungalow. It looked a little bit dilapidated."

It is believed that the dead man's mother, who is separated from his father and lives in Ponteland, was informed of his death yesterday.

[knighthawk]

It is believed Mr Taylor was lying on an airbed underneath the guillotine

Darwin award nominee?

[knighthawk]

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[boris]

There was a posting here a while back about a guy who built a home-made guillotine and beheaded himself in front of a tax office (Czechoslovokia?)--evidently over a dispute involving a few hundred dollars.

Fine workmanship, though.

--Boris

[colorado tanker]

The mechanism was timed to send the blade crashing down in the early hours, at about 3.30am.

He wanted to commit suicide in his sleep??

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

suicide

[Samurai_Jack]

I guess he lost his head.

[Redcloak]

This reminds me of a short film I saw once. I think that the title was "The Contraption". It shows a man building a large, mechanical device. The shots are all fairly tight, so you can't make out what he's building. The device is of black metal on a wooden platform. There's a large torsion spring somewhere in the assembly and towards the end, we see the builder pushing against the spring with a pipe or rod of some sort. Finally, we see him place a wedge of cheese on a plate within the contraption. The builder lies down, bites the cheese and SNAP! It ends with a wide shot of the giant mousetrap.

[bigfootbob]

Perhaps he was "doing research" on the effectiveness of the guillotine? Those wacky Brits.

[MHGinTN]

Sleeping arrangements were wrong-headed.

[FreedomPoster]

I may be off the list, but you've gotta see this - definite "hold muh beer" material.

[Old Professer]

The mechanism was timed to send the blade crashing down in the early hours, at about 3.30am.

"Input, need input!"

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[tet68]

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! So to speak.

Couldn't he have just waited for the Spanish Inquisition?

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton.

[Billthedrill]

Dang it, I hate incomplete stories like this. Were the coroners able to determine the cause of death?

[ChemistCat]

I kinda expected this to be amusing but it just wasn't. Oh, how horrible. How much would you have to hate your father...?

[ErnBatavia]

Those wacky Brits....

[SamAdams76]

Maybe he was playing French roulette.

[KineticKitty]

"The mechanism was timed to send the blade crashing down in the early hours, at about 3.30am."

Sounds like he didn't want to see it coming. And wanted it to happen in his sleep? What a Shame.

[Willie Green]

Maybe he was playing French roulette.

Nah, just a routine game of "chicken".