Drunkenness

John Lister, labourer, Conisboro’, was charged with being drunk on the 7th June.

Defendant did not appear.

P.C. Pattison proved the service of the summons, and said that at 10.20 p.m. on the above date he was on duty at Conisboro’, when he saw the defendant drunk lying on the highway. He asked him to get up and go home, when defendant replied he was ‘very poorly.’ Witness eventually had to have defendant conveyed home.

Fined 20s. and 17s. 6d. costs.

Joseph Shepherd, collier, Conisboro’, was summoned on a charge of being drunk and disorderly on the 12th inst., at Conisboro’.

P.C. Drewry, in stating the case, said the defendant was very drunk, rolling in the street, and using abominable language, at half-past nine o’clock at night.

In reply to Mr. Verity, who appeared for the defence, witness said Shepherd was ‘very’ drunk and had to be assisted home.

For the defence all that the policeman had stated was flatly denied.

Shepherd, on being sworn, said on the night in question he was at the Fox Inn, and his wife and sister went home quietly. He never fell down, and had no shape or form to be assisted on his journey. He never used any bad language.

Mrs. Shepherd gave corroborative evidence, and swore that her husband was per factly sober.

Richard Bowden, miner, said he was with the defendant at the time. Shepherd never fell, nor was he drunk, and it was not true that he had to be assisted home.

Without going further into the case, the Bench dismissed the summons.