Kent Herald, 28 July 1825.

Criminal Court, 26th July 1825

Before Mr. Baron Graham.

Joseph Hastings, aged 42, was indicted for a burglary in the house of John Dawson, at Chiselhurst.

John Dawson kept the "White Horse," Chiselhurst.

On the 17th April he went to bed about 11 o'clock. The house was then fastened up. About two in the morning he heard a noise like a knocking; he got up, but hearing no further noise went to bed again. About five o'clock he got up, and saw a table thrown down in the bar, the till drawer was broken open, there was a quantity of bricks near the door of the tap room, and a hole made in the wall, not quite large enough for a man to get through. It was large enough for a person to put his head through and take off the cross bar, the staples of the bolts were forced off. There had been some money in the till; there were about 2 gallons of brandy, two of rum, and a small quantity of gin; it was all gone. Witness went to a field near the house, and saw prisoner there. He was lying down completely intoxicated, and foaming at the mouth. The kegs were within 2 yards of the prisoner. The brandy keg was empty. There were three table cloths, two tin boxes, a rum and water glass, a cribbage board, and a mattock without a handle. The handle of a mattock apparently just broken was found on the till. The value of the property taken was about £3.

Prisoner put in a written defence, in which he stated that being on his road to Farningham, he was accosted by two main, who said they were smugglers and had got some spirits in a field. They took him into a field, and gave him brandy and asked him to join them in smuggling. They afterwards prepared to break open a house; he would not agree to that, and one of them struck him a violent blow, which broke one of his fingers, and he had insensible on the ground.

Verdict guilty, death recorded.