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At Ely assizes, held at Wisbeach, on the 10th instant, there was only one prisoner for trial, viz. Richard Faulkner, who was capitally convicted of the wilful murder of George Burnham, a lad about 12 years of age, at Whittlesea, on the 15th of February last, by cruelly beating him to death, for no other cause than to revenge his (the deceased) mother having thrown some dirty water upon him.
— The prisoner himself was not 16, but so shockingly depraved and hardened, that after condemnation, he repeatedly clenched his fist, and threatened to murder the clergymen who attended the gaol, or any one who dared to approach him. Indeed he was so ferocious, that the gaoler found it necessary to chain his hands and feet to the dungeon, where he uttered the most horrid oaths and imprecations on all who came near him: and from the Friday to Saturday night refused to listen to any religious advice or admonition. At length, to prevent the termination of his existence in this depraved state, the expedient was devised of procuring a child about the size of the one murdered, and similar in feature and dress, whom two clergymen unexpectedly led between them, by the hands, into his cell, where he lay sulkily chained to the ground, but on their approach he started and seemed so completely terrified, that he trembled every limb, cold drops of sweat profusely falling from him, and he was almost momentarily in such a dreadful state of agitation, that he entreated the clergymen to continue with him, and from that instant became as contrite a penitent as he had before been callous and insensible. In this happy transition he remained till his execution on Monday morning the 13th instant, having fully confessed his crime, and implored, by fervent prayer, the forgiveness of his sins from a merciful God.
— Hampshire Chronicle, Monday 03 August, 1807 source