Southeastern Gazette, 19 April 1853.

CITY PETTY SESSIONS.

Wednesday. (Before R. Clements, Esq., Captain Burton, S. Steele, E. R. Coles, and W. Manclark, Esqrs.)

Alfred Henry Goatley was charged on a warrant with the following violent assault.

W. Jeffrey deposed that on the night of Saturday last, at a few minutes before eleven o’clock, he was in the tap-room of the "Victory" public-house, Strood, his wife being with him. The defendant suddenly entered the room, and without saying a word rushed towards the complainant and dealt him a violent blow in the face, which knocked him down. The prisoner, not content with this, followed up his attack by striking him under the jaw with a pewter pot, and under the continued effects of such treatment, complainant became insensible. The wife, seeing the danger to which her husband was exposed, rushed forward to shield him, when the ruffian, with a powerful blow, felled her to the ground, her face coming in contact with the fender, thereby causing a large wound, which the poor woman exhibited to the magistrates; he also knocked her in the side when down. The complainant swore most positively that he had not given the prisoner the slightest provocation, as to the best of his knowledge he had never once seen him before.

In answer to a question by Mr. Steele, the witness reiterated his statement that he had given prisoner no cause for the violent attack on him.

Caroline Jeffrey, the wife of complainant, fully confirmed her husband’s statement, and added that the prisoner declared "he would kill the first b------ he came nigh of Formby’s brickers." She also stated that the prisoner wished to set his wife (who is a powerful masculine woman) on her (witness), at the same time threatening to "go into" her if she did not. The wife, however, refrained from molesting her. A policeman was then sent for.

Henry Nott was in the public-house, and fully corroborated the last two witnesses’ statements.

The prisoner, a heavy determined looking man, who has the character of being the terror of all the inhabitants of Strood, pleaded intoxication, and urged the assaults were not so serious as had been given out.

The magistrates, having deliberated a short time in private, determined to remand the prisoner to give time for the apprehension of prisoner’s companion Langford.

Southeastern Gazette, 19 April 1853.

Saturday. (Before Capt. Burton, B. R. Coles, S. Steele, and R Winch, Esqrs.)

The Assault at Strood.

Alfred Henry Goatley and George Langford were then charged with violently assaulting William Jeffrey and his wife at Strood. The first named prisoner had been examined on Wednesday, and was then remanded to give time for the apprehension of Langford. Mr. H. C. Stephenson, of Sheerness, appeared for Langford.

The evidence of Jeffrey and his wife was merely a recapitulation of that given on Wednesday. With regard to Langford both witnesses now swore that he came in with a poker under his waistcoat, threatening to kill some one. He then went out, and in a few minutes came back with Goatley, when they both commenced an unmerciful attack on the prosecutors, as noticed in our Wednesday’s report. The wife of Jeffrey was knocked down by one of the prisoners, and kicked and beaten by the other, which was evidently proved by the marks which she now bore. In their cross-examination both these witnesses swore they never saw the prisoners before, and that they neither did nor said anything to annoy them. They were also perfectly sober.

Henry Nutt, who was in the tap-room of the "Victory" at the time gave corroborative evidence, though he could not swear to all the facts, as he was absent for two periods.

Mary Strong, the servant at the "Victory," was called to give support of the complaint, but as she had been treated badly and had evidently been tampered with, the magistrates had little reliance on her evidence, Mr. Coles administered observations to her.

The magistrates said the assault was far too serious to deal with; they had therefore determined to judge it at another time.

There was also another case against the prisoner and Silas Wood at the "Ship" public-house, which for form the basis of the indictment.