Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express — Friday 01 May 1903
Magisterial Leniency Towards Denaby Miners.
On Monday, at the Rotherham West Riding Police Court, before Mr. E. W. Hodgkinson and Mr. R. Dyson, the plaintiff in the above case, Fredk. Tingle, a miner, of Denaby, was brought up on remand charged with having been drunk and disorderly, and with assaulting Charles Laverley, then a police constable in the West Riding Police Force, at Swinton, on the 18th March.
Supt. McDonald said the prisoner was arrested on March 13, and charged with drunkenness and with assaulting P.C. Laverley. The case came before the Bench on March 23rd, and was remanded until March 30th.
On that day Mr. A. Muir Wilson appeared for the prosecutor, and asked for the case to be remanded until that day, April 27th. It was then alleged that the policeman had used the truncheon, having broken his arm, his stick, as well as injured his ribs. The remand was granted, and the prisoner took proceedings in the County Court, and they had already taken place.
The prisoner pleaded guilty to having been drunk and disorderly, but not guilty to the assault.
Charles Laverley gave similar evidence as in the case tried at the County Court.
P.S. Yates corroborated.
Supt. McDonald said on the last March Laverley requested, and left on the 3rd, and since then had been on two weeks waiting for the case to be disposed of. There were five previous convictions against defendant for drunkenness, gambling, and refusing to quit licensed premises. The last occasion was on the 23rd of August last year, when he was fined 2s. 6d. and costs for drunkenness.
For having been drunk and disorderly the Bench fined the prisoner 5s. and costs; and for the assault on the police, which the chairman said was a most serious one, he would be fined 20s. and the costs, the Bench having decided to deal very leniently with him.