The Sun. — 1844-09-20 (London, England)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.  OLD COURT.  William Robinson, 23, sailor, was indicted for cutting and wounding John Gay Walters, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. Mr. Crouch conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Horry defended the prisoner. It appeared that the prosecutor is an omnibus. driver at Woolwich, and on the night of Sunday, the Ist of Steptember, there was a fight and squabble at that place, and upon the prosecutor interfering and endeavouring to take away his friend who was engaged in the disturbance, the prisoner stabbed him in two or three places. There did not appear to be any malicious feeling entertained by the prisoner towards the prosecutor, but the affair was evidently the result of a drunken disturbance.  The jury found the prisoner Guilty of an assault, and he was sentenced to be kept to hard labour for four calendar months.  William Henry New was indicted for feloniously Sarah New, with intent to do her grievous bodily harm. cutting and wounding his wife, Mr. Clarkson conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Payne defended the prisoner. The circumstances under which the charge was made against the prisoner have appeared within the Last few days. The prisoner and his wife, it will be remembered, resided at Richmond, and on the 22d of August they had a dispute which led to the prisoner striking the prosecutrix on the shoulder with a knife. The injury inflicted was not of a very serious character, and according to the admission of the prosecutrix, she had thrown a cup full of hot tea in his face before he acted towards her in the way described. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty. John Mitchell, 24, was indicted for feloniously beating and wounding Mary Anne Murray, with intent to murder her.  Mr. Doane prosecuted. It appeared that the prosecutrix kept a brothel in East Smithfield, and the prisoner cohabited with her. On the 4th September the prisoner came home while she was having her tea, and he asked her if she had done her tea. She made him no answer, and he immediately overset the table and the tea-things, and commenced a most brutal attack upon her, knocking her down and kicking her in different parts of the body while she was upon the ground, inflicting very serious injuries upon her, from which it appeared she has not, and is not likely for a considerable time, to recover. The surgeon who was called in said he found the prosecutrix in a most miserable condition. She was one mass of bruises all over her body, apparently as though she had been kicked and jumped upon. She was perfectly insensible, and could not answer any questions until she had been copiously bled ; and the surgeon expressed his opinion that the injuries the prosecutor had received were such as might be dangerous to life. It seems that after the prisoner had acted in the manner described, he went out and returned soon afterwards, and was heard whistling and apparently quite indifferent as to the effect of his brutality. The prisoner, in his defence, said he was intoxicated at the time, and he was very sorry for what he had done.  Mr. Justice CRESWELL, having summed up, the jury found the prisoner Guilty of wounding the prosecutor with intent to do her some grievous bodily harm. The Learned JUDGE told the prisoner that the jury had taken a very merciful view of his case, and he added that, in his experience in the criminal courts, he did not recollect a more brutal, savage, and unmanly attack upon a woman, than that of which he had been convicted. He then sentenced the prisoner to be transported for fifteen years. Just before the Learned Judges left the bench, at five o'clock, the grand jury came into Court, bringing with them a number of bills, and they informed the Court that there were no more cases for them to take into consideration.  Mr. Justice WIGUTMAN congratulated them upon the conclusion of their labours, and said the country was indebted to them for their services, and they were now discharged. The foreman said the grand jury could not separate without expressing their high opinion of the zeal and intelligence displayed by the members of the metropolitan police who had been examined as witnesses before them in the course of the sessions.  Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN said it was very satisfactory to hear such an observation from the grand jury, and he quite concurred in it. The grand jury then retired.