Kent Herald, 31 March 1825.

Criminal Court, 30th of March, 1825, before Mr. Baron Graham.

William Monk, labourer, 21, charged with a burglary in the house of James Fullager, at Milton, and stealing a teapot, and other things, value £5.

Mr. Bolland addressed the Jury in this case, and called the following witnesses. Richard Goord examined:- I am a grazier, and on the 20th Jan, lodged with Mr. Fullager, at Milton, near Sittingbourne. I had a great coat and pair of boots, which I saw about two days before the house was broken open. I missed them the morning after the robbery. The robbers entered the house by taking a casement out of the wash house.

James Fullager examined: I am a farmer at Milton. On the morning of the 21st Jan. I found my house had been broken open. I missed a queen's metal teapot value 5s. a plated stand, two plated tops of pepper castors, two silver salt spoons, and five desert spoons. I knew prisoner; he lived in my service in the summer of last year.

Henry Kipping examined:- I am an officer of Maidstone. On the 10th Feb. I went to the county gaol, and saw prisoner there. I asked to look at his boots, and told him I suspected he had been concerned in breaking open Mr. Fullager's house. He said he had not been nearer the house then Key Street and Sittingbourne; on the 19th. Warner was then had in, and from what he stated I went next day to Mr. Fullager's house. I took Monk's boots with me and compared the right boot with the foot mark in the new made ground in front of the house. They corresponded exactly. I went to a lot of rubbish on the King's Ferry Road, and found a broken dish, as described by Warner. (Witness produced the dish.) I afterwards went to Messrs. Beaching and Edmead, pawnbrokers, in Maidstone, by direction of Warner, I there found a blue great coat. (Witness produced the coat.)

Mr. Goord deposed to the coat being his property.

Keeping's examination resumed:- On the 26th February, I saw Monk at the gaol. He said Warner had not told the whole of the truth, for there was a woman with them. I then went to the "Golden Lion," Maidstone, where Warner said they slept on the 21st of January. I searched the privy and in it found a tea-pot and stand. (Witness produced them they were beaten up.)

Mr. Fullager had no doubt of their being his property.

Jane Dirtnall examined:- I live with Mr. Fullager as servant. The night before the burglary, I saw the house safe about half past 10 o'clock. Next morning, about six, I found the house broken open. I noticed the teapot and stand now produce, a dish, a soup like, and two silver tea spoons.

Sarah Epps, another servant, examined:- I got up at 5 o'clock, and missed a pudding and dish; the front door of the house was shut but not fastened.

James Warner (an accomplice) examined:- I lived at Eltham before I knew Griffiths. On the 19th of January I saw him at Maidstone. He asked me to go to the gaol and see Monk. Monk just came out of the gaol-gate as I got up. He and I went into the "Compasses" and had a pint of bear. He then went to the "Golden Lion," where Griffiths was. I then went to the "Queen Anne," and Griffith and Monk came there to me. We then went towards Key Street. Monk said he knew a house where he could get some things, where he had lived servant once. Mr. Goord's house. We concluded we would go there that night about 12 o'clock. We went to the "Cross Keys" at Key Street; Monk said it would not do that night as there were people about; we then went to the "Plough" at Sittingbourne and slept there; next morning we went to the "Castle," at Greenstreet; after staying there two or three hours, and then went out, at last we got a Milton about eight o'clock in the evening. We had agreed to go to Mr. Fullager's that night's. When we got to Milton, we went into a farm yard and laid down. We got down to Fullager's about 12 o'clock. It rained, and we all three went into the privy. Then Monk and Griffiths got over a hedge at the back of the house. I stood in front to keep watch. In about 90 minutes they came round, and Monk tried to get into the cellar window, but could not. We then all went round, and Monk got into the window of the wash house; they pulled some part of the window down, Monk went through the house, and opened the front door. He came out and brought some silver spoons, a tea pot, some salt spoons, a pepper caster, a pair of boots, and a great coat, and a meat pudding in a dish like that produced. Monk pulled the door too after him. We went into the main road, Griffith broke the dish and threw it over some chalk rubbish into the hedge. Monk and the great coat, and Griffiths the boots. We got into the "Squirrels" at Stockbury, we laid down in a hedge. I got into Maidstone about seven o'clock. We all met at the "Golden Lion," and in the evening Monk took the coat out and pawned it. Monk and I slept at the "Golden Lion." The other things Griffith took to London to sell in Petticoat Lane.

W. Moore, Osler at the "Key," Key Street, deposed to prisoner and Warner being at the house the night of the day, on which Monk came out of gaol. Another man was with them.

James Hunt, landlord of the "Plough," deposed to Monk and Warner sleeping at his house with another man, the night before the burglary.

His lordship, in addressing the Jury, said the case was so very clear, and the testimony of the accomplice was so strongly corroborated, that it would be a waste of time to recapitulate the whole of the evidence. The Jury without hesitation found prisoner guilty.

Death recorded.

It appears that Prisoner committed the burglary immediately after being discharged for the confinement of 12 months for passing bad money.