QSR1909/4/2/2a

John Grout - Register of the Court of Criminal Appeal

13th October 1909

From: 1909 To: 1909

Criminal Appeal Act 1907 Notice of Application for Leave to Appeal Against a Conviction, Under s.3 (b) To the Registrar of the Court of Criminal Appeal. I, John Grout having been convicted of the offence of stealing gold watch and [being now a prisoner in His Majesty’s] Prison at Bedford [or *now living at ...] and being desirous of appealing against my said conviction ‘Do Hereby Give You Notice that I hereby to the Court of Criminal Appeal for leave to appeal against my said conviction on the grounds hereinafter set forth. Signature and address of Witness attesting Mark. John Grout, 29 Copperfield Road, Mile End. Dated this 21st day of October 1909 Particulars of Trial and Conviction 1. Date of Trial: 13.10.1909 2. In what Court Tried: Bedford Quarter Sessions 3. Sentence: 4 years Penal Servitude You are required to answer the following questions: - 1. If you desire to apply to the Court of Criminal Appeal to assign you legal aid on your Appeal, state your position in life, amount of wages, or salary, &c., and any other facts, which you submit show reasons for legal aid being assigned to you. I desire legal aid. I am earning 15/- to £1 per week when employed as Labourer. 2. If you desire to be present when the court of Criminal Appeal considers your present application for leave to appeal, state the ground on which you submit that the Court of Criminal Appeal should give you leave to be present thereat. No 3. State whether you desire to be present at the final hearing of you Appeal. Yes The Court of Criminal Appeal will, if you desire it, consider your case and argument if put into writing by you or on your behalf, instead of you case and argument in writing, set out here as fully as you think right your case and argument in support of you Appeal. Ground for Application. I was at Sandy on 26th of August last looking at a man selling chains and watches and half crowns in paper. And when I had been there a few minutes a fight took place with 2 men when a police officer came in the crowd to me and said a gentleman wants you, he took me to a man, I said do you want me? He said ‘No him’ pointing to the man who lost the watch. I said to him ‘do you want me’ he said Well, I have lost my watch. He was holding his chain in his hand, I said ‘I can’t keep that’ he said I wish to have him searched him and the Police Officer and 3 of his friends took me across a green behind a house and searched me. When he see I had not got the watch in his excitement about losing his valuable watch he said he would give me in charge. I went before the Inspector under a tent what he said to him I do not know, but sometime after, I heard the Inspector say to the Prosecutor if you charge this man you know what you are doing he said yes he also said to the Police Officer did you see any grounds why this man should be charged asking a suspected person picking pockets he said no. He said to me I am going to keep you here while I blow through the telephone to see if your address is right. I gave my right name and address. The Prosecutor stood outside the tent for about an hour. Then he would insist on charging me with stealing the watch. The evidence he gave before the Magistrate at Biggleswade he said he was looking at an Auctioneer selling chairs and half crowns in paper when a fight took place while he was there he felt a tug at his watch chain and looking down he saw his chain hanging down. The Superintendent who took the evidence said to him where was the prisoner when you first saw him he said behind me where was he when you saw your chain hanging down at my right side. The superintendent said to him I don’t understand you where was he when you missed your watch he said my left side He said at the Trial that he was [jumbled] in a large crowd. I was at his left backside and I had my hands pressed in his sides. He did not see me take his watch but he said his sure I did take it when the Police Officer gave his evidence he said at Biggleswade on the 27th of August before the Magistrates he saw me and another man the other man was running up the road towards the Station when he gave evidence. On the 3rd of September he said he see me and 4 other men pushing behind the prosecutor in the crowd and said he had been watching me for an hour and half but said he never saw he speak on word to anyone. I am innocent of this Charge. I also submit that the Jury were aware of my previous convictions before they were asked to consider their verdict. The Prosecuting Council in Cross Examining me in the Witness box drew answers from me concerning my previous convictions which were I contend improperly admitted as evidence. John Grout. *When applicant for any reason not in custody.

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BEDFORDSHIRE, BIGGLESWADE, SANDY, appeal, theft, watches, paper, money