The Newcastle Sun, Thu 28 Oct 1920 1
ALLEGED ASSAULTS
Norman Thomas Jones (18), fitter, was charged at the Newcastle Court this morning with having assaulted a girl last night. When asking for a remand until to-morrow, Sergeant Fallon said that the incident happened in a picture show. Bail was allowed Jones in self and surety of £10.
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Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Fri 29 Oct 1920 2
NEWCASTLE POLICE COURT.
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Thursday, October 28.
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(Before Mr W Le Brun Brown, SM.)
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REMANDED.
Norman Thomas Jones, 18, fitter, was charged with having unlawfully assaulted Mabel Mitten, at Tighe’s Hill on the previous day. Sergeant Fallon asked for a remand until to-day, and stated it was a picture show case that occurred late on the previous night. The application was granted, and bail was allowed, self and another in £10.
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The Newcastle Sun, Fri 29 Oct 1920 3
AT THE MOVIES
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WOMAN ASSAULTED
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GAOL FOR YOUNG MAN
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For having assaulted a female at a Tighe’s Hill picture show on the night of October 27, Norman Thomas Jones (18) was sentenced to two months’ gaol by Mr Le Brun Brown, SM, at the Newcastle Court this morning. When sentencing him the magistrate said: “It’s a nice sort of thing if a woman can’t go to a picture show without being interfered with by young ruffians like you. You should think yourself lucky that you are only charged with common assault.”
Later the lad’s father asked for the sentence to be reduced and a fine inflicted. After hearing the full details from the woman assaulted, the SM declined to alter the sentence, saying that if he had erred it had been on the side of leniency. Jones had been before the court before.
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Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Sat 30 Oct 1920 4
NEWCASTLE POLICE COURT.
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Friday, October 29.
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(Before Mr W Le Brun Brown, SM.)
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A PICTURE SHOW ASSAULT.
Norman Thomas Jones (18), fitter, pleaded guilty to a charge of having unlawfully assaulted a female at Tighe’s Hill on October 27. Giving particulars of the assault, the victim described a series of interferences, which she was subjected to at a picture show. The magistrate (to defendant): “This sort of thing cannot be tolerated when people cannot go to a picture show for young ruffians like you. You can think yourself lucky you are only charged with common assault and not with something more serious. I sentence you to two months’ imprisonment in Maitland Gaol.” A little later the father of defendant asked the Bench to reconsider the penalty and substitute a fine for the sentence. His son had told him he had not done what he was charged with, and he advised him to plead guilty, thinking a fine would be imposed. The boy was well behaved. The magistrate again questioned the person alleged to have been assaulted, and as she left the witness-box said, “I will not make any alteration. I have erred on the side of leniency. We cannot tolerate this sort of thing.”
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The Newcastle Sun, Mon 22 Nov 1920 5
ASSAULT ON A WOMAN
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YOUNG MAN’S SENTENCE
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REDUCED ON APPEAL
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Norman Thomas Jones appealed in the Newcastle Quarter Sessions Appeal Court this morning against a sentence of two months inflicted on him by Mr Le Brun Brown, SM, on a charge of assault on a female. In the lower court Jones pleaded guilty.
Mr James appeared for the appellant.
The offence was alleged to have taken place on September 27 at the Tighe’s Hill pictures. The woman said that she was at the show with her three children. She had two children asleep on her lap. When the place was in darkness appellant, who was sitting in front of her, put his hand up her clothes.
Thomas Hammerton said that the woman touched him as she was passing her and he sat beside her. By reason of what she told him he put his hand down and felt accused’s hand. He then went for Mr Tighe, and when they were going towards accused he ran. They chased and caught him.
Jones, who said he was a fitter living at Tighe’s Hill, said that the women [sic] had her feet against the back of the seat. He put his hand down and touched her leg to give her the office [sic] to take her feet down. He got sick of her feet being there and went outside to get a pie. He did not see Hammerton and did not feel him touch him. When he was going out he tripped and was then chased.
To His Honor: It did not suggest itself to him to tell the woman that she was inconveniencing him.
His Honor: How on earth do you expect me to believe a story like that?
Cecil Price gave evidence that Jones fell over him.
His Honor said he had no hesitation in upholding the conviction, but he thought the sentence rather drastic. He did not know if it was palliation for him, but the lady, either through inability or lack of realisation of what was happening, did not take the initiative. He bound Jones over in securities of £25 to be of good behavior for 12 months.
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Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Tue 23 Nov 1920 6
NEWCASTLE QUARTER SESSIONS.
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Monday, November 22.
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(Before His Honor Acting Judge Mocatta.)
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APPELLANT BOUND OVER.
Norman Thomas Jones was the appellant for a waiver of a magisterial decision at the Newcastle Police Court whereby he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment on a charge of having assaulted a female at Tighe’s Hill on October 27. Mr AH James, who appeared for the appellant, stated there was no evidence heard at the lower court where a plea of guilty was entered.
Constable Sands said at about 10 pm on October 27 he saw appellant rush out from a picture show, and afterwards saw him in the custody of two men. At the office of the picture show manager a woman said, “That is the man who assaulted me.” appellant replied, “I did not do it intentionally; my arm was resting on the back of the seat, and it was numbed.”
To his Honor: Appellant was unrepresented at the police court when he pleaded guilty.
To Mr James: Appellant’s father was in Court, and said he advised him to plead guilty. The person alleged to have been assaulted gave evidence that she was a married woman, and went with her three children to the pictures on the night in question. She described interferences to which she was subjected by a man who was sitting in front of her. Corroborative evidence was given by Thomas George Hammerton, piano tuner.
Appellant [Norman Thomas Jones] gave evidence that he was a fitter living at Tighe’s Hill. He went to the pictures with Cecil Price, and sat down in front of the woman who put her feet on his seat. Anything he did was to give her the “office” to take her feet away. A little later he got up to get a pie, and stumbled over Price. He saw the manager of the picture show in the doorway, and thought he was wanted for making a noise.
His Honor: Did you not speak to the woman and tell her to remove her feet? – No.
His Honor: How do you expect me to believe a story like that?
Cecil Price confirmed part of appellant’s story.
Mr James agreed with his Honor that the conviction was one that should be sustained, but asked that appellant be bound over, as the penalty was rather drastic.
His Honor said he was astonished that the woman should tolerate the treatment so long, but she might have been embarrassed and uncertain what to do. He thought the sentence was rather severe.
Evidence of good character of appellant was given by Constable Lunds.
His Honor confirmed the magistrate’s sentence, but ordered the suspension of its execution upon appellant finding sureties of self and another in £25 to be of good behaviour for twelve months. Appellant was ordered to pay costs of £5 5s to the Clerk of the Peace within fourteen days.
1 The Newcastle Sun, (NSW), Thu 28 Oct 1920, p. 5. Emphasis added.
2 Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Fri 29 Oct 1920, p. 3.
3 The Newcastle Sun, (NSW), Fri 29 Oct 1920, p. 5.
4 Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Sat 30 Oct 1920, p. 5.
5 The Newcastle Sun, (NSW), Mon 22 Nov 1920, p. 1.
6 Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, Tue 23 Nov 1920, p. 7. Emphasis added.