Selling beer during prohibited hours

Hertfordshire Mercury, 31st July 1915

Transcript

At Cheshunt Petty Sessions Brown Bacon, of ‘The Plough’ beerhouse, Flamstead End, Cheshunt, was summoned for selling intoxicationg liquor during prohibited hours.  P.c. Fulbrook stated that at 10.40 p.m. on July 17, he was on duty in Flamstead End when he saw a little boy running in the direction of the Plough beerhouse with a half-gallon stone jar in his hand.  He saw the boy knock at the private door of the house.  After a moment he was admitted and the door closed again.  At 10.43 the door was opened, a woman looked out and said ‘all right’, and the boy then ran out with the stone jar.  The witness stopped the boy and took him back to the Plough.

The defence was that a Mrs Mercer gave an order for some beer to be called for by her little boy about 9.45 on the evening in question, and that the defendant’s wife executed the order before closing time, although the boy did not fetch the beer until after 10 o’clock.  The whole point of the case, counsel for the defence argued, was whether the sale in fact took place before the licensed premises were closed.  After hearing the evidence the chairman said the Bench considered there was a distinct breach of the law, but not a very serious offence.  The defendant would be fined 10s. or 7 days.

This page was added on 05/03/2015.

Add your comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.

Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this page!