OFFENCES UNDER THE LICENSING ACT: At the Torquay Police Court yesterday, before Messrs. L. B. Bowring (chairman), W. Bridges, P. B. Drinkwater, and Capt. Wray. John Drew, landlord of the Star Inn, Higher Union Street, Torquay, appeared in answer to a summons charging him with harbouring prostitutes on licensed premises. Mr. Friend, of Exeter, who appeared for defendant and the owner of the premises, Mr Pinsent, of Newton Abbot, pleaded not guilty, and asked, before the case was gone into, to be allowed to make a statement on behalf of the owner. The evidence —so far he had learnt, was of such forcible and cogent a character, that it would be impossible for him to make any struggle against it. The Chairman: Then why don’t you plead guilty? You cannot make a statement unless you do so. Mr Friend said he wished to ask the Bench not to record the conviction on the license, as the effect would be very hard on the owner. The Bench decided the case must be gone into before Mr. Friend could make his appeal. Mr. Friend said his client was willing to plead guilty. P.O. Brock said he went into the house in plain clothes at eight o’clock on the evening of September 19th and found the room filled with prostitutes, who danced and drank until half past ten. At that time P.O. Gregory, who was on duty in that neighbourhood, looked in and cautioned the defendant. The next charge was for permitting gaming on September 21st. On the afternoon of that day Brock and another constable entered the house dressed “country yokels,” and at the invitation of two men had ten games of “Don,” and five quarts of beer. At the conclusion of the first game Brock’s partner said he had no money, and the constable put down 5d for the beer. Defendant said it was 6d for card-playing beer and received the additional 1d. During the play Detective Bond entered the house, and on his quitting one of the men said, “Mind we are not playing for anything if anyone asks the question outside; that’s a —- detective.” The other man replied as long as the marking board was on the table they could play what they liked. The landlord was called in to decide the point, and give his verdict against the latter argument, saying that a publican near Exeter had been fined for permitting card playing. Defendant was present during the time play took place and occasionally took one of the men’s “hands.” A third case of harbouring prostitutes on the same day was next gone into. Mr. Friend was then permitted to address the Bench and said that the 56th section of the Licensing Act was enacted for the protection of innocent people such as the owners of licensed property. They were entirely at the mercy of those to whom they let their property, and who they believed to be honest and respectable persons, under those circumstances he argued that the section of the Act he had quoted gave the owner an opportunity to appeal against any decision the Bench might arrive at respecting the withdrawal of the license. Mr. Pinsent had received the formal notices and, in the meantime, had arranged to evict the defendant Drew forthwith, and to place a trustworthy man with the sanction of the Bench in his place. Mr. Friend proceeded to point out that if the license was endorsed three times it would be forfeited, and the owner would not be able to license the premises again for two years. Defendant was entirely mired by the charges proved against him; he thought the Bench would temper mercy with justice by saying he had already been sufficiently punished. So far as Mr. Pinsent was concerned, there was already one endorsement on the license which would reflect on the house for the next five years, and the owner had gone to the expense of paying £20 to the excise in order that he might retain the license in his own possession. The Bench after a short consideration inflicted fines of 20s each in the two first cases and endorsed the license, and the third case was not dealt with. By reason of this decision the defendant would be disqualified for five years to hold any license, and the premises would not be licensed for two years.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0518 Devonport: John Ball Pinsent: 1819 – 1901