Quarter Sessions
| DOI | 10.1177/002201835802200402 |
| Published date | 01 October 1958 |
| Date | 01 October 1958 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Quarter Sessions
"POSSESSION"
OF HOUSEBREAKING IMPLEMENTS MUST BE THAT
OF A FREE MAN
R. v. Finn
Acase of considerable interest to police officers was recently
heard at the Salford
Hundred
quarter sessions.
It
concerned the possession of housebreaking implements by
night.
The
point was raised that the "possession"
must
be
that
of
a free
man;
for the gloves and screwdriver found
where
Finn
had been were discovered when he was already in
custody.
In
R. v. Harris (18 Cr.
Ap.
Cas. 157) men in a
promenade shelter were questioned
but
ran away.
They
were at once pursued and arrested at 9.14 p.m. (the hours of
night for
the
purpose of
the
charge being 9p.m. till 6 a.m.).
When
they were taken back to the shelter arope ladder
and
a
jemmy
were found there.
Their
appeal succeeded on
the
grounds that at no time when they could be connected with
the
instruments were they free men.
The
Assizes
UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM
R. v. Ratcliffe
Acase which arose mainly from bravado
but
had its origin
in some of the shameless bullying which certain sections
of
the
public seem to tolerate today was recently committed
from Blackpool to
the
Lancaster Assizes.
The
evidence
showed
that
abusiness man named Ainley was in the habit of
playing card games, namely faro
and
seven-card rummy, in
Blackpool clubs, and lost in one afternoon £4,5°0 to a wrestler
named
Pye
and
to the latter's friend.
This
debt could not be
settled at once, and it was decided to forego £500, no new
session for play being named;
but
this arrangement was made
without Pye's knowledge. When informed of it Pye very
strongly objected and demanded the £5°0; to which Ainley
was said in evidence to have replied "You'll have to kill me to
271
To continue reading
Request your trial