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Kentish Gazette, 2 April 1850.
STABBING AT GILLINGHAM.
John Hook, 23, stabbing and wounding William Parrett, with intent to
kill and murder him, at Gillingham.
Prosecutor is a fisherman at Gillingham, and at about half, past
eight o’clock on the evening of the 10th October was at the "Hope
and Anchor" beer shop, sitting near the fireplace in the taproom.
Whilst he was in the tap-room, prisoner came there, and asked
several of the marines who were there to fight him. He appeared very
much in liquor, and when the marines declined to fight him,
he said he would fight any soldier or marine, or any one else who
was present. Prosecutor stood up and said he hoped prisoner did
not mean him. Prisoner then went to where prosecutor was, and said
he would fight him for 5s. Prosecutor said he did not wish to
fight, and that he had no money, but that he would fight prisoner
for a bellyful. To this prisoner assented Prosecutor took off his
jacket, and immediately afterwards felt a knife under the short rib
on his left side. He called out he was stabbed, and sank down in
the corner of the room, bleeding. A marine who was present went up
to the prisoner and took from his hand a closed penknife,
which he gave to James Holloway, the constable, by whom it was now
produced. A surgeon was immediately sent for, but he not
bring at home, Mr. Hanes, a chemist, was called in, and on his
arrival he found prosecutor bleeding very profusely from a wound on
the lower rib of the left side. He appeared to have lost a great
quantity of blood, nearly 1 1/2 pints. Mr. Banes examined the wound,
which had apparently been made by a penknife similar to that
produced by Holloway. It was a very slight wound, extending about
an inch in length. The prosecutor was ill for one month afterwards,
during which time he was unable to go to work. He also stated
that even now, when he caught cold, he felt the effects of the
wound. He added that at the time the offence was committed the
prisoner was very much in liquor and scarcely knew what he was
about.
The prisoner denied having committed the offence, and said the knife
was not open.
His lordship then summed up, and the jury returned a verdict of
guilty of a common assault, acquitting the prisoner on the capital
charge.
One month’s hard labour. |
