Jersey Weekly Post, St Helier, 30 December 1939

Police Court

Birch for three youths

Not old enough for the army!

Anthony Mark Channing, 17;
Leonard Fordson, 16; and
William Patrick Douglas Forward, 16, all of St Helier,

were charged on remand by Centenier G.G. Grant, of St Helier, with having on various occasions during the month of December, 1939, committed infractions of Article 9 of the Police des Chemins Regulations by taking motor cars without the permission of the owners, and with having stolen articles from certain of these cars, and also with damaging some of the vehicles. Fordson was also charged with driving a car without a licence on Friday, December 8th, 1939, in contravention of Art. 2 (para. 1) of the Police des Chemins Regulations.

Forward was similarly charged with driving a car without a licence on December 11th, 1939.

Centenier Grant said that he had to report that the military authorities would not have the three lads as they were too young. None of them wanted to go into the Navy, and in any case enlistment could not be carried out here.

Counsel said he was instructed the accused were willing to be dealt with by that court.

The Magistrate: The case is really one for the Royal Court, but since they ask to be dealt with I think the best thing is the birch if the parents or guardians agree. It has been my experience that this has been efficacious as in the past.

The fathers of the three lads were called and asked if they agreed to the application of the birch.

They all did so, but Mr Channing pleaded that his boy had had a sickness and had not been the same since.

The magistrate pointed out that Channing was the eldest of the three and must be considered the ringleader, particularly as he held a driving licence. He would, however, be very sorry to see any of the lads sent to gaol, but they must be punished. He had ordered the birch in at least a dozen cases and only one had come back for more.

Channing was ordered 30 strokes of the birch and the other two 24 each, but the magistrate ruled that only 15 strokes be administered to Channing and 12 to each of the others, the punishment to be administered under medical control.

Channing's driving licence remained with the Court.