Corpun file 23412
Mona's Herald, Douglas, 15 August 1967
Birch and prison for assault and theft
A sixteen-year-old Liverpool youth was ordered six strokes of the birch by the Douglas Magistrates, yesterday, for an assault causing actual bodily harm.
For carrying an offensive weapon, a sheath knife, he was sent to detention for one month, and fined £10, with the alternative of a month in detention in default.
Along with eighteen-years-old John Challinor, of 16, Spencer Street, Liverpool, he was charged with stealing a wrist watch, wallet, notepad, railway ticket, and £6-1-9, from a sixteen-years-old youth.
For this offence the youth was fined a further £10 with a month in detention in default.
Challinor was sent to prison for three months, and was sentenced to an additional three months for assaulting another sixteen-years-old youth.
Both defendants admitted all the charges brought against them.
Police Inspector George Turnbull, prosecuting, said all the charges arose from an incident on the Victoria Pier in the early hours of the morning on Friday last.
At midnight on Thursday three young holiday-makers staying on the Queen's Promenade decided to go for a walk. They went along the promenade as far as the gates leading to the Victoria Pier. They were retracing their steps when they were set upon by a gang of lads, all members of the crews of Manx passenger ships.
The first youth was knocked to the ground and kicked, said the Inspector. He had a broken nose, a fracture of the left cheekbone, lacerations on his face, and abrasions on his back.
The second youth was also punched and knocked to the ground. He pretended he was unconscious, and his watch and wallet were taken. The third youth escaped by running away.
Detective-Constable Alan Jones told the Bench the youth had stated he had a knife in his hand in a sheath hitting one of the boys who was attacked. Later he threw the knife in the harbour.
Inspector Turnbull said it needed no words of his to point out the gravity of these offences. He had spoken to the Courts before about gangs roaming around at night, and these defendants were typical.
