Drunken assault on police:Green Street

Hertfordshire Mercury, 5th March 1910

Transcript

Henry Spinks, a labourer, of Green Street, was charged on remand with being drunk and disorderly on Saturday night and further, with assaulting a Police Officer, damaging a Police uniform and with being drunk in charge of a child. Henry Spinks pleaded guilty to all four charges.
PC Knight stated that at 10.30 p.m., he saw the prisoner in a drunken state in Green Street carrying a child in his arms. His wife was accompanying him but she was also in a drunken state. The man fell forwards onto his face in the street with the child trapped beneath him.
Pc Knight said he rushed over and took the baby away from Spinks. The child’s face was covered in mud. Both Henry Spinks and his wife tried to snatch back the child from PC Knight, who had handed the child over to a Mrs Dye, also of Green Street so that she might take the child into her home to get its face washed.

The defendants ran into their home and began shouting and fighting. They both came out onto the street and assaulted PC Knight, who said he was struck on the jaw and took several blows to the ribs. Henry Spinks then ripped the officer’s cape in two.
PC Knight said he had to call for reinforcements to take the pair into custody. On the way to the Police Station, Mrs Spinks (her first name was not published) threw herself down in the road, kicked, spat and even tried to bite PC Knight. Henry Spinks was also “very violent” during his arrest.
Mrs Spinks was released the next day whilst her husband was remanded for a further twenty four hours until his appearance in court on Tuesday 2nd March. It turns out the “child” was a six week old baby.

Henry Spinks said he had no recollection of the entire incident whilst PC Gatehouse and PS Palmer corroborated the evidence given by PC Knight. There turned out to be several previous convictions against the woman; she was fined 15 shillings. The court fined Henry Spinks for each offence and the total came to £2 6s. A month was allowed for payment.

 

William Moulding, of Haydens Court, was charged with obstructing the police whilst in the execution of their duty.
Pc Gatehouse stated that whilst he was assisting in the arrest of the man Spinks, William Moulding appeared in the street and began urging Henry Spinks on, shouting “Kick the ****, bash him. I’ll help you.”

PC Gatehouse said that Moulding then pushed him away from Spinks, allowing Spinks to run into his house.

After PC Gatehouse had re-arrested Spinks, Moulding once again started giving the prisoner advice. “Trip him up. I wouldn’t mind doing six months for that.”
PC Knight and PS Palmer corroborated the evidence given by PC Gatehouse. Defendant William Moulding had nothing to say in his defence. He was fined £1 with seven days to pay or in default – fourteen days’ hard labour.

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