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FAREHAM PETTY SESSIONS.
MONDAY.—Before Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis, Bart., K.C.B. (Chairman), Spencer Smith, Esq., General Hore, and F. Bradshaw, Esq.
SERIOUS ASSAULT.—William Wingham, a powerful-looking youth, was charged with assaulting William Hoad. The complainant (who is an elderly man) is a carpenter living at North-end, near Portsmouth, and works at Hilsea. On Thursday, the 2nd of January, he was engaged on certain works for the War Department at Hilsea, between the garden and the shrubbery, when he saw the defendant and some smaller boys pass by him. A man who was with the complainant drove them off the works; but shortly afterwards the defendant returned, and in passing trod upon the complainant’s toes. The latter told him that he had no right there, and put up his hand to prevent him from passing, and the defendant thereupon took up a piece of a fence and was in the act of striking the complainant, when it was taken from him. The defendant then took up a large stone (weighing several pounds) and threw it at the complainant; this struck the complainant in the back of the head, the force of which produced a large wound, from which the blood flowed freely, and which rendered the complainant insensible. After that the defendant made another rush at the complainant, and struck him in the mouth. The defendant, who pleaded guilty, alleged that the complainant struck him first; and his mother said that he suffered from fits, and had not consequently been able to work for some time. He had, she said, had three fits since Saturday; whereupon Sir Lucius Curtis told the woman that if her son suffered from fits and was of a violent temper, he should be watched. It was a very serious assault, and might have resulted in the death of the complainant. He was fined 15s., including costs, or 14 days’ imprisonment in default of payment. The alternative, however, was avoided, by the boy’s friends at once paying the money.
William Page, a signalman in the service of the joint railway companies at Port-creek, was charged with using threatening language towards the complainant in the previous case, whereby he went in fear of bodily harm, and in consequence of which he prayed that he might be bound over to keep the peace towards him. On the day following the assault by the boy (to whom the present defendant was related) the complainant was called from his work to see two women who were in front of the “Coach and Horses.” He (complainant) said he wished to have nothing to say to them, when the defendant, who was close by, came up and said, “Are you the man who insulted this woman yesterday?” The complainant said, “No. I never insulted any woman,” whereupon the defendant said, “Are you the man who had his head cut?” to which he received a reply in the affirmative. The defendant then said, “Then you are the man who insulted this woman, and I’ve a good mind to knock your ------ old head off.” The defendant repeated the threat three times, and a man named George Gasser proved hearing the defendant say, “If it wasn’t that he’s in his work I’d give the old ------ something now. Never mind, I’ll get five or six of our fellows down here, and we’ll do something for the old ------ yet.” The defendant admitted making use of language similar to that described by the complainant and his witness, but alleged that it was applied to the latter and not to Hoad. So far, he remarked, from wishing to injure the complainant, he should be very sorry to strike him, because he was old enough to be his grandfather. Two women were called to prove the defendant’s allegation, and at the close of the case the magistrates asked the complainant if he were disposed to come to some amicable arrangement. The complainant replied that he had no wish to injure the man, and that he merely took this course for his own preservation, and ultimately consented to withdraw the information upon the defendant paying the costs, and promising not again to molest him.
— Hampshire Telegraph, Wednesday 15 January, 1868