From the Kentish Express and Ashford News, Saturday, December 22, 1883.

A Fracas at Potter’s Corner.

Richard Vant and William Vant, limeburners of Westwell, and John Coveny and James Coveny, labourers, of the same parish, the first two brothers and the second two father and son, were charged on summons of three separate assaults, and also with refusing to quit the licenced premises of the "Hare and Hounds," Potter’s Corner, Ashford.

Mr Bannon appeared for the complainants, Mr Martin Mowll for the defendants.

In one summons, Richard Vant and James Coveny were charged with assaulting Albert Halfacres, game watcher on the estate of Lord Hothfield, William Vant and Richard Vant were charged with assaulting Thomas Acutt, gamekeeper to Lord Hothfield. In a third summons, William Vant was charged with assaulting Henry Claringbould, landlord of the "Hare and Hounds."

Albert Halfacres deposed that he resided at Watery Lane, Hothfield Common. He went into the "Hare and Hounds," Hothfield Common, at 7 o’clock on the evening of Dec. 11th and Richard Vant and James Coveny came in afterwards and commenced dancing. Vant asked him to dance with him. Witness said he wanted to do nothing of the sort. Vant observed “Oh, you’re one of Hothfield’s ********** keepers” and spat in his face. Witness pushed him away. Vant said “All right, now I can strike you” and struck him as he was sitting in his chair. The landlord interfered and asked witness to come into a private room out of the defendant’s way. Witness was subsequently fetched outside by Claringbould, the landlord, to assist a keeper named Thomas Acutt. Just as witness got out he saw Richard Vant strike Acutt, and knock him down. Witness went to Vant and pulled him off Acutt, whereupon James Coveny, who was taking part in the assault upon Acutt, before witness had uttered a word, said “Here’s the ****** I’ll let him have it” and struck him in the eye, blackening it, and rendering him nearly senseless.

He was coming at witness again, when witness knocked him down. The defendants remained outside the house armed with sticks, and witness and the other complainants were not allowed to go home until the police came.

Cross examined by Mr Mowll: Witness had been to Mr Kenyon’s, the head-keeper, and merely called in at the "Hare and Hounds" to have a glass of beer on the way home; he did have, however, two pints at the bar. He was in the house half an hour before the row commenced. Witness had not the least idea why the men quarrelled with him. They were perfectly sober. He was knocked down several times in the scuffle in the road, but he could not say by whom.

By Colonel Groves: Witness did not know the defendants even by sight: he had only been in the neighbourhood three or four months.

Henry Claringbould, landlord of the "Hare and Hounds," deposed that Richard Vant and James Coveny came into the house about half an hour after Halfacres. There was a concertina going, and Coveny wanted Halfacres to dance with him. Halfacres did not want anything to do with the dancing. Richard Vant pulled him up, but he sat down again. Vant said “If you won’t dance, do you want anything in this way or that way”, putting his fists offensively close to Halfacres’s face. Witness said, “Let the man alone; if you want to fight anyone, fight me”. Vant then put his face close to Halfacres and spat in his face. Halfacres pushed him down, and then Vant struck at him, but knocked down some of witness’s pots and glasses. Witness got Halfacres to go into his private room, and put Vant in the taproom. Witness remained at the door and saw Acutt and four other men coming down the road. John Coveny and William Vant had come up, and all four of the defendants were at that time standing together outside, and one of the Vants, witness believed it was William, exclaimed “Here comes another ******** Watery Lane keeper, let him have it.” William Vant and another of the defendants went and attacked Acutt, and witness went and caught him by the collar and pulled him away from Acutt, telling him to get off his premises and go home. William Vant thereupon turned round and knocked witness down.

Witness went indoors then, and called Halfacres out, and sent to Ashford for the police. Sergeant Highwood came about nine o’clock, and all the defendants remained till then, although witness had repeatedly ordered them to leave. They were in the front part of the house, but on witness’s premises.

William Vant and John Coveny did not enter the house at all.

By Mr Mowll: the space in the front part of the house is not enclosed, but it is private property and part of the house.

Colonel Groves said the space was part of the premises and was formerly enclosed.

Claringbould further stated that he took from William Vant the stick with which he had knocked Halfacres down.

Frank Luckhurst, labourer, Westwell, deposed that he left Ashford at half past seven o’clock and went into the "Hare and Hounds." Richard Vant was then dancing Halfacres about the room. Halfacres sat down, and Vant then went out, pulled his jacket off, and went back to Halfacres, who was sitting down, and wanted him to fight. Halfacres replied that he did not want to fight. Vant struck him, and Halfacres struck again. Witness was afterwards sent to fetch the police. Outside he found the four defendants armed with sticks. Acutt and three other men were coming along, and Vant said “Here’s
another Watery Lane ******, if I can’t do anything myself my brother can.” Both the Vants pitched into Acutt. Claringbould came out and said he would not have any row on his premises, whereupon William Vant knocked him down. James Coveny knocked Halfacres down afterwards. This witness, cross-examined by Mr Mowll, as to the defendants being worse for liquor, created some amusement by saying they were “mad” outside; “Dick Vant was going to fight the old post”.

Thomas Acutt, Watery Lane, one of Lord Hothfield’s keepers, deposed that he and another keeper named Edwards, and two young men named Knight, were passing the "Hare and Hounds" when they saw the four defendants standing outside. He corroborated the evidence already given as to his being attacked and knocked down by the Vants, and also the subsequent proceedings. Witness had not been into the "Hare and Hounds" that evening; he was coming away from the house when he was attacked.

John Edwards, another of Lord Hothfield’s keepers, gave further corroboration.

Mr Bannon was about to call the two knights, but the Bench intimated that they had heard sufficient as to the facts.

 Sergeant Highwood deposed that when he arrived at the "Hare and Hounds" the house was locked and the four defendants were standing outside. They were all excited, and more or less the worse for liquor. The Covenys had bats. One of them made a rush at one of the keepers. After about five minutes they went home.

Mr Mowll submitted that there was no case against John Coveny, as he was not disorderly. He should prove that Richard Vant was struck first by Halfacres, and, after the evidence of Sergt. Highwood,
he thought the Bench would come to the conclusion that these defendants had begun the Christmas festivities rather early and got into a general scrimmage. He called George Shoebridge, bailiff to Mr
Kennet of Westwell, who deposed that he was inside the "Hare and Hounds" on the previous Tuesday.

James Coveney and Richard Vant were in the bar, and Halfacres wrangled with them, and struck Vant.

Vant did not strike Halfacres at all. Outside there was a general scuffle, and witness could not distinguish which struck the other. He stood on one side looking on, and could see quite as much of the affair as others could. He did not see any men with sticks in their hands. This witness was severely reprimanded by the Bench for prevarication, he having at first said he had not seen Mr. Claringbould relative to this matter, and told him he knew nothing about it, and afterwards admitted that he had seen him, and that he had said he should tell the truth as to what took place in the bar.

Subsequently the magistrates ordered the witness to be taken into custody, pending their decision as to how they would deal with him, and, on returning into Court, the Chairman announced that the charge against James Coveney would be dismissed: James Coveney and Richard Vant, for the assault on Halfacres, would be fined £2 10s. 9d. each, including costs: or one month’s imprisonment with hard labour: William Vant, for the assault on Henry Claringbould, would be fined £1 17s., including costs, or one month’s hard labour: William Vant and Richard Vant, for the assault on Thomas Acutt, would be further fined £2 10s. 6d. each or an additional month’s hard labour.

The witness, Shoebridge, was then stood at the bar, and, Mr. Walker having left, Colonel Groves addressed him, telling him the magistrates were very sorry to see any good man come into that court and call God to witness that he would speak the truth, and then behave as the witness had done. The justices had discussed whether they should send him for trial at the assizes on a charge of committing perjury, but they were inclined to think he had been carried away with the idea of screening his comrades, and had forgotten he was standing in the eye of God.

The magistrates, however, desired it should go forth that if they felt that a man came before them and wilfully perjured himself, they would send him for trial. Any man was very likely to forfeit his liberty for a very considerable time if he got into the witness box and told a direct lie.