QSR1871/1/5/11/c

Examination of Harrold Cooke and depositions of witnesses for the defence

3 December 1870

From: 1870 To: 1871

Harold Cooke – he is not guilty. He will reserve his defence. Called witnesses Sarah Cook and Sarah Leech. Sarah Cook – on 12 November she remembers Cooke came home between 10 and 11pm to change his clothes. She was not in bed. After Cooke went out she saw his staff hanging out. She did not see him come again until the morning. If he had come in again she would certainly have heard or seen him. The staff hung on the same peg in the morning that she had seen it on at night. She never saw more than one staff in the policeman’s house. Sarah Leech of Kempston- she heard a row on the 12 November. It sounded like anyone fighting. She was standing against her door. She saw Cooke come up to Abbot and Teedon. She saw Cooke part them and tell them to go home. She did not see any blow struck. If there had been a blow struck she must have seen it. She saw Abbot fall on the pebbles. [Cross-examination] She is single and lives with Mrs Haynes, a married woman. She does not know whether her husband is at home as she [Leech] has been in Gaol. She spoke to the police about coming as witness at about 12 at night on 12 November. She does not know when she spoke to Cooke. She did not tell him what she was going to say. She had spoken to Cooke before the 12th. She did ot go with him for a walk on 5th. She did not meet him with Mrs Darlow. She was with Mrs Haynes that night. She has seen the Recruiting Sergeant at Kempston with Cooke. She did not see them together on the night of 5th November. She had lit a light in the house when this was going on. Mrs Haynes took the light when she went to bed. A man named Lamberts had been there.

s

item

Cooke, Harold,
Abbot, Thomas,
Cook, Sarah,
Leech, Sarah,
Teedon, Edward

assault, police constable, KEMPSTON