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DENBIGH BOROUGH POLICE COURT.—On the 2nd inst., before J. Parry Jones, Esq., mayor, and Robert Parry, Esq.,
A female imposter, who gave the name of Sarah Westwood, was brought up in custody, under the recent statute of 20th and 21st Vic., chap. 54, sec 4, entitled Fraudulent Trustees Act1.
Mr. Meredith Williams stated that this was a prosecution against the prisoner, who, on the 4th ult., came to the house of Mrs. Owen, widow of the late Mr. W. Owen, cabinetmaker, for lodgings, which were let to her at 30s. per week. The prisoner at the same time observing that she was likely to come in for some money.
Mr. R. Wynn Williams for the defence, objected to any statement made other than that which had reference to the specific charge against the prisoner.
Mr. M. Williams had no wish to make any statement to the prejudice of the prisoner beyond that which was necessary to show the felonious intention of the party, and which felonious intention he was fully prepared to make out. The prisoner remained in Mrs. Owen’s house, under the above stipulation, till the 11th. On the morning of this day she asked Miss Owen for the second volume of Amy Herbert, which Miss Owen placed on the table in the prisoner’s room, which book was found to be lost in about an hour after the prisoner had left the house, and was subsequently discovered to be in the prisoner’s possession when apprehended at Rhyl on the 31st ult.
Mrs. Owen deposed to the prisoner coming to her house on the 4th ult., and remaining until the 11th, when she left without paying for her lodgings, and also swore to the taking away the book.
Cross-examined by Mr. W. Williams—She gave no information respecting this charge to the police. Saw prisoner after she left her house on Christmas Eve at Mr. Williams, the gardener’s. Saw the police there. Knew the book had been taken, but made no charge against her then.
Miss Owen deposed to prisoner coming to her mother’s house on the 4th, and leaving on the 11th of December last. On the morning of the latter day prisoner asked witness for the second volume of Amy Herbert, which she placed on the table in the prisoner’s room. The book, which was hers, she lost in about an hour after the prisoner had left the house.
Robert Lloyd, police officer Rhyl, deposed to apprehending prisoner at Rhyl on the 31st ult., on the charge of taking the book from Denbigh. She then said, “I did take the book, but not with the intention of stealing it. I only took the loan of it, and intended to return it, and that it was with my luggage at the White Lion. The book had been in his possession ever since.”
This closed the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Wynn Williams strongly contended that there was not the least ground for a charge of felony against his client, who was prepared to take her trial before this court, and urged that had it not been for the act of parliament passed only last August, no such charge would have been heard of this day, and he believed would never have been even hinted at, had the accused paid Mrs. Owen for her lodgings.
The court after shortly considering the case, sentenced the prisoner to 21 days’ imprisonment.
— Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald, Saturday 09 January 1858 source
Footnotes
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20th and 21st Vic. is the Punishment of Frauds Act 1857. I haven’t found a copy online yet. ↩