Offence: Breaking Peace > wounding
Verdict: Guilty > lesser offence
Punishment: Imprisonment > penal servitude
687. JOHN OGBOURNE (36), Feloniously wounding William Stone with intent to main him.
MR. GUY STEPHENSON Prosecuted.
WALTER DOBBIN . I am licencee of the Windsor Arms, Merton—at 7 p.m. on July 30th, the prisoner entered my house, and I refused to serve him in consequence of his bad character, and ordered him out—he returned at 8 p.m. a little the worse for drink—I sent for constable Stone and had him removed—he then went into the road and took off his coat—that is all I saw.
WILLIAM STONE (585 V.) On July 30th, at 8 p.m., Dobbin called me to remove the prisoner—he came outside, took off his coat, rushed at me, and stabbed me twice in my hip with this knife (Produced), saying "I will swing for a b—policeman," and as I closed with him he said, "I will kill you, you b—,"—I drew my truncheon and struck him on his shoulder and arm, and he then stabbed me again through the left side of my face with the knife—assistance came, and he was taken to the station.
Cross-examined by the prisoner. You took the knife out of your coat pocket before you took your coat off, and I asked you to go away quietly—I knocked the knife out of your hand with my truncheon, and it was picked up and handed to me on the spot—I did not hit you first.
ALEC EDWARD HUDSON . I am a coal agent of 12, Haydons Road, Wimbledon—on July 30th, at 8 p.m., I saw the prisoner in the road—Stone asked him to go away—he threw off his coat and closed with the constable, striking him with his fist—I then saw a knife in his hand—I blew a whistle and assistance came—I heard the prisoner say he would swing for a policeman—I saw the constable's face bleeding.
Cross-examined. I was about four or five yards away, and saw the whole occurrence.
ERNEST WILLIAM ADCOCK . I am a milk carrier of 52, Haythorpe Road, Balham—on July 30th, about 8 p.m., I was in the Windsor Arms—I heard a remark and went to the door and saw the prisoner and the constable in the roadway, struggling—I secured the prisoner from behind—the constable's face was smothered in blood.
FREDERICK SQUIRE (182 V.) On July 30th, about 8.30 p.m., from information received, I went to the Grove Hotel, Merton, outside of which I saw the prisoner struggling with Stone and two others—I said to the
prisoner, "Come on Jack come along quietly"—he said, "All right, I will go for you"—on the way to the station he said, "I am very sorry I thought it was Short; I will swing for that b—yet: there are two in Wimbledon I will do for"—Stone's uniform and face were covered with blood.
REGINALD AUGUSTUS LOUDER HILL . I am surgeon to the V Division of Police—Stone was brought to my house on July 30th, suffering from a wound in the left side of his face about 1 1/4 inch long, extending right through into his mouth—he also had a punctured wound on his hip about 1/2 inch deep—if it had been a little further to the front it would have been very dangerous.
The prisoner's statement before the Magistrate: "I have complained at the police station three times of being knocked about by the police. I have only once been here in eighteen months; I came here for summonses against two policemen who knocked me about last Sunday week. I have got one of the sticks which was broken over my back; the policemen begged my pardon. I was laid up for three weeks and overlooked it."
The prisoner, in his defence, said that the police were always getting him turned out of his lodgings and knocking him about.
GUILTY of unlawfully wounding; twenty-six convictions of being drunk and disorderly and assaulting the police were proved against him. Three years' penal servitude.