Drunk and disorderly

At Hatfield Petty Sessions on Monday, George and Annie Reading, of no fixed abode, were charged in custody with being drunk and disorderly at Hatfield on Saturday night.  P.C. Sermons stated that he found the prisoners causing a disturbance amongst the general public in the streets, and took them into custody as they were in a drunken condition.  The woman said that when they were arrested they were going home with some groceries which they had purchased.  They had been to a shop and had purchased a lot of little things, so that they must have known what they were doing.  They were not causing any trouble.  Both prisoners pleaded guilty.

The man was then charged with damaging a bucket to the extent of 10s. whilst in the cells on Saturday night, to which he pleaded guilty.  P.C. Morse said that when he ordered the prisoner to take his clothes off he refused, but eventually did so, though he was very angry about it.  As the witness was closing the cell door the prisoner picked up the cell bucket, threw it at the door, and smashed it to pieces.  As the prisoners had been locked up since Saturday the woman was discharged, but the man was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment.