Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Fri 6 Jan 1928 1
WALLSEND POLICE COURT.
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Thursday, January 5.
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(Before Mr WI Perry, SM.)
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REMANDED FOR SENTENCE.
Harry Alexander Wills, represented by Mr FA O’Donnell, was charged with improper behaviour at Wallsend on December 30.
Constable Carter said, in response to a message he received on December 30 he went to a residence at Newcastle-road, Wallsend, where he saw Mrs Cameron who was a housekeeper for a Mr Murphy. As a result of what he was told he went to defendant’s residence, but did not see him. He returned to defendant’s residence on December 31, and saw him. Giving an account of his movements on the day previous, defendant denied having committed any offence, but that he went to see Mr Murphy to deliver a message to him from his son. He said he did not see Mr Murphy, but he was talking to a woman on the verandah, and a little girl was playing nearby. Defendant said he went to a lane at the side of the house to fix his bicycle. When told that he committed an act of indecency whilst in the lane, defendant denied the offence, and gave an explanation of what had occurred. When confronted with Mrs Cameron and the girl, defendant admitted they were the persons he had seen at the house on the previous day.
At this stage, Mr O’Donnell interposed, and stated that the girl concerned was only nine years old. The girl gave her evidence, but was not sworn. Cross-examined by Mr O’Donnell, the girl said her father lived at West Wallsend, but she was living with her mother at Wallsend.
Jessie Cameron said she was a married woman employed as a housekeeper by her uncle, Mr Murphy, at his residence in Newcastle-road, Wallsend. On the date mentioned she was engaged in ironing clothes when defendant approached and asked if Mr Murphy lived there. When told that Mr Murphy would not be home until seven o’clock that evening, defendant went away after telling her his name. Shortly afterwards her daughter came into the house crying, and told her something. She gave evidence as to placing her daughter at the rear of the house and ringing for the police.
Mr O’Donnell submitted that there was only the uncorroborated evidence of the girl, and defendant should be given the benefit of the doubt. The magistrate held that there was a case to answer.
In evidence, defendant [Harry Alexander Wills] said he was a labourer. When told by Mrs Cameron that Mr Murphy was not home he replied that he would call again next day. On returning to where he had left his bicycle he ascertained that one of the tyres was punctured. He denied any act of indecency. He returned to the house with the intention of endeavouring to procure some solution with which to repair the puncture. Mrs Cameron then told him of the alleged offence, which he denied.
The magistrate said he had decided to convict. He took a serious view of such offences. He really did not know what to do with the defendant, who was only eighteen years old. However, he would review the evidence, and remanded defendant to come up for sentence at Newcastle Police Court on Monday next. Bail was allowed, self and a surety of £40, or two sureties of £20 each.
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Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Tue 10 Jan 1928 2
NEWCASTLE POLICE COURT.
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Monday, January 9.
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(Before Mr WI Perry, SM.)
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CASE FROM WALLSEND.
In the matter in which Harry Alexander Wills, 18, labourer, came up for sentence, the magistrate said defendant had been convicted at the Wallsend Police Court on Thursday last on a charge of improper behaviour. On account of defendant’s age he did not really know what to do with him. He must be punished in some manner, as the offence was most disgusting. Had defendant been an adult he would certainly have sentenced him to a term of imprisonment. He ordered that defendant be sentenced to imprisonment for three months, sentence to be suspended on defendant entering into a recognisance of £30 to be of good behaviour for a period of twelve months.
1 Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Fri 6 Jan 1928, p. 2. Emphasis added.
2 Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Tue 10 Jan 1928, p. 7.