Mexborough and Swinton Times May 15, 1936

Nine Months Sentence
Conisborough Man’s Alleged Poker Attack

A 70-year-old conisborough father sat in the Court at Doncaster on Tuesday and heard his son, Arthur Steele (32), bricklayer, Denbrook, Conisbrough Park, sentenced to 9 months imprisonment on a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm on his stepmother, and a reduced charge of wounding his father.

As a chairman, Mr GE Cooke Yarbrough was announcing the decision of the Bench, the father exclaimed, “Oh, don’t do that.” He was told to be silent stop

Steel pleaded “Not Guilty.”

Inspector Redfern said that on Saturday May 2nd, prisoner returned home under the influence of drink, but not drunk. He stepmother asked him if he wanted any supper and he was rather nasty and said “No.” He became very abusive and struck her with his fist. His father, Thomas Steele, attempted to protect his wife and the prisoner picked up a poker and struck Mrs Steele several blows about the head and shoulders. She managed to get away, and the prisoner turnaround upon his father and struck him several times with the poker and with his fist. The old man got away to his neighbours, and information was given to the police. Cautioned and charged with the offence defendant replied, “I was attacked first.” Both Mr and Mrs Steele were examined by Dr Clarke.

Dr Clarke, giving evidence, said that Mrs Steele hard one swelling on each side of her head, an incised wound about two and half inches long on the back of the head, an incised wound on the back of the neck, and abrasions on the back and forearm. There were similar wounds and Mr Steele. In reply to the chairman, witness said that there were nine wounds on Mrs Steele, and they were consistent with having been struck by a poker. The wounds on Mrs Steele were also consistent with having being caused by a poker.

In reply to Mr CR Marshall, defending witness said that the accused had a wound on his left temple. Witness did not see a coal rake in the house.

Mr Marshall: my aim of floor with this rake of causes same kind of injury? – I can’t say definitely.

Step Mothers Intervention

Emma Jane steel, stepmother cues, said at first there were words between accused and herself, and accused came for her, but did not hit her. His father said, “You must not touch,” and accuse picked up the poker said he would swing for both of them. Witness got in between accused and his father and got a blow on the back of the end. She turned to get out of his way and he was hitting her all the time. The accused had been living with them since Christmas stop

Mr Marshall: did you make some slanderous statements concerning his sister at Swinton? – No.

Witness denied asking her husband to strike accused.

Thomas Steel, retired engineer (70), said that when his son came in, he seemed upset and nasty, but he did not say anything at first. He stepmother said, “You’re always been like this when you have been to Swinton,” and accused seem to lose his temper and went for Mrs Steel. Witness tried to prevent him and was thrown to the floor, “When I got away I staggered to another bungalow to get assistance,” Mr Steel added.

Mr Marshall: there would have been no trouble at all but for the words passing between? – The words were not enough to cause trouble.

Do you bear your son any resentment? – No, if he would keep away from me, I don’t want to press the case.

Witness denied picking up the poker.

James Turner, 2 Denbrook, Conisbrough Park, said about the child’s incident there was a knock at his door. When you’re the door Mr Steel said “Never mind me. Go to our house. Arthur‘s hitting my wife with a poker.” When witness went to the door he saw Arthur Steel at the end of the path.

Son’s Story

also Steel said that his stepmother started to slander his sister. He jumped up, and his father thought he was going to strike her. If father picked up the poker and said “You must not, Arthur, or I shall strike you with this.” He then struck him with a poker on the forehead and the temple. “I seemed to lose control when I was struck on the head,” added Steel. He admitted, striking his stepmother with a coal rake but he was dazed at the time had no idea he was striking her. His father, he thought, hit his head on the wringing machine. Then he realised he had been striking his stepmother with the coal rake, and he collected himself, and sat down and began having a smoke.

Witness said he had been living away from home nearly all his life. He had served seven years in the Dragoon Guards, and had left the Army with an exemplary character. If he had not been requested, he would not have lived with his parents, and he had before this affair arranged to leave on May 3.

Mr Marshall said that this Steel did not admit he struck his stepmother with the coal rake. Whether there was any case for inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mrs Steel not even on the evidence of the prosecution there was no case of inflicting harm by this man and his father. Neither of the two witnesses for the prosecution could suggest how Steel got this blow on his temple, although the doctor at said that Steel must have had some fairly considerable blow to cause it. Steel said that the blowers received from the poker. His case was that he was attacked first by his father with the poker.

Mr Cooke Yarbrough said the Bench was bound to find Steel guilty of a grevious assault on the woman, and that it had been inflicted with the poker. That was an offence that was always severely punished in this court and higher courts. The whole way through this case the Bench had had a grave doubt whether, having regard to the instrument used, and the serious damage he did to his stepmother, they should send the case to a higher court. For the savage attack on his stepmother the accused was to be sent to prison for six months.

With regard to the attack on his father that was not quite so serious, but he was an old man, and not very well, and accused knocked him down. The Bench did not feel they should find him guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and they reduce the charge to one simple wounding. On that he would go to prison for three months.

The sentences were to be consecutive.