Corpun file 8757 at www.corpun.com

Jersey Weekly Post, St Helier, 6 June 1936

Police Court

Magistrate's Busy Time

Before J.E. Pinel, Esq., Magistrate.

Saturday, May 30th, 1936.

The Boys and the Lasso

Police Court Sequel.

Were charged by Centenier S.E. Pirouet, of St. Helier, with irregular conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, on Thursday, May 28th, 1936, about 4.50 p.m. in Rouge Bouillon; on the same occasion interfered with a horse attached to a van and driven by Mr. Edward John McFarling; also with having struck Mr. William Francis Hardman in the face with a rope.

"On Thursday afternoon these two lads were playing with this rope in Rouge Bouillon," said the Centenier. "They attempted to pass the rope over the head of Traffic Controlman Hardman, who was on duty at the Savile-street corner, but the rope struck him across the face. The lads then went on down the road and frightened a horse which was being driven in a van by Mr. McFarling. The horse jumped the pavement and wedged the shaft of the van in some railings, smashing it, while Mr. McFarling fell between the van and the horse. A farmer, Mr. Paisnel, who was driving his lorry along Rouge Bouillon and saw what had happened, stopped his lorry and chased the boys, catching the elder."

Mr. E.J. McFarling said he was driving along Rouge Bouillon. The boys had a rope over the road and before witness could avoid it, it was up against the horse, which took fright and bolted. Witness fell from the van and had a very lucky escape from serious injury, as he was wedged between the horse and van.

[...]

Young's mother was called forward and said the boys had no intention of doing any harm. The carter did not know how to drive his horse, he was nervous, and the traffic control man was in the way. The boy was going to apologise.

The Magistrate: So according to you everyone was to blame except your boy. What they want is a good hiding.

Mrs. Young: My boy had one last night; his father gave him one.

The Magistrate: If he was not to blame why did he get a hiding?

Mrs. Young: They say his father does not correct him, but he does. He was thrashed and shown he must not play in the streets like that.

The Magistrate: He is 17!

Mrs. Young: Yes, 17 to-day.

The Magistrate: Then he wants something to make him remember his 17th birthday. At 17 he should know better than to get into this sort of mischief. The van driver might have been killed.

Villalard's father, who was not in Court, was sent for and in reply to the Magistrate said he had punished his boy several times, but could do nothing with him. He agreed that the boy should receive six strokes of the birch and six more if he came before the Court again.

Mrs. Young objected to her son being birched on account of his father's health. He suffered from heart disease and would rather punish the boy himself.

The Magistrate: You mean to tell me a sick man can punish that boy properly? I would like to believe you but I will see the father for myself: he will be here at 10 a.m. on Monday and in the meanwhile your son will be allowed out on 10/- bail."

[...]

Monday, June 1st, 1936.

The Youth with the Lasso

Father Consents to Birching.

Holiday or no holiday, the Police Magistrate sits just the same, and there was another "mixed bag" for his attention. First came

who appeared on remand from Saturday, when he was charged with another lad who was sentenced to the birch, on a charge of disorderly conduct in Rouge Bouillon on Thursday.

The Magistrate had ordered Young to be birched, too, but the boy's mother raised objections, and a respite was granted in order to hear the father's views.

Mr. H.F. Young, father of the accused boy, was present yesterday morning, and gave his consent to the boy being birched.

The Magistrate: You have done the right thing. In February, 1935, your boy was bound over to come up for judgment if called upon. If you had declined to allow him to be birched I would have been obliged to send him to prison, and I did not want to do that.

Addressing the accused, the Magistrate said that his case was worse than that of his friend, as he was older. He had already been before Court once, and on this occasion would be ordered 18 strokes of the birch. Nine would be administered that day, and he would be given the other nine if he came before Court again. The Magistrate expressed the hope that would teach him the way to behave.