The Sun. — 1846-07-25 (London, England)

CROWN COURT.  Mr. Justice Coltman sat in this Court until late on Thursday night, in order to endeavour to finish the criminal business, but finding it was impossible to do so, it was arranged that Mr. Sergeant Dowling should dispose of the remainder of the cases in the calander. Thomas Cheest man, aged 20. was indicted for f. loniously cutting and wounding Charlotte Frances Maria Saunders, with intent to murder her; and in other counts his intent was laid to do her grevious bodily harm. Mr. Deedes prosecuted, and Mr. Mellor defended the prisoner.  It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner and the prosecutrix were fellow-servants at the Camden Arms Inn, Tonbridge Wells ; and it would seem that the prisoner had entertained great attachment for the prosecutrix, which .was not returned by her, but she on the 'contrary, was keeping company with another young man, and that had given the prisoner great offence. On Sunday, the 7th June, the prosecutor had a holiday, and she went out with her sweetheart, and it appea, ed that the prisoner also asked for a holiday on the same day, and he joined the prosecutrix and her companion, who were at the• time accompanied by two or three young females of their aequaintince. The party went to a place in the neighbourhood of Tunbridge Wells, where they ail drank some cyder, and it was observed that the prisoner seemed to be very melancholy, and appeared to be brooding over something that wag in his mind. They all returned towards home together, and the prisoner was seen to take knife out of his pocket and sharpen it, but it did not appear that at 'this time any suspicion was entertained of the deadly intention of the prisoner. The prosecutrix and her friends having rested for a short time at a stile, proceeded on their way homeward, her sweetheart being by her side, and the prisoner walking by the side of the man, when, suddenly, and without saying a word, he jumped past the man, seized the young women with one hand, and, with a knife which he held in the other, he made a desperate attempt to cut her throat; but fortunately, owing to the resistance made by her cap string, and some other articles of dress, he did not succeed in causing a mortal i;jury, although the jugular vein was injured, and a very severe wound inflicted, from the effect of which the prosecutrix had not yet recovered. _ _  Mr. MELLOR, in behalf of the prisoner, urged that the act had been committed by him while he was labouring under a temporary aberration of intellect, occasioned by the drink he had taken.  Mr. Justice COLTMAN having summed up, the jury almost immediately found the prisoner guilty of asaulting the prosecutrix with intent to do her grievous bodily harm. Judgment was deferred. _  John Price, 26, surrendered to answer an indictment charging him with the manslaughter of James Sutton. Mr. Horne prosecuted ; Mr. Andrews defended the prisoner.  This case was of rather a singular character. It appeared that the prisoner and the accused, who reside in the neighbourhood of Margate, were on friendly terms up to the period of this transaction. The prisoner was going home at night, having previously been in company with the accused at a public-house, when, accord ing to his statement, a man sprung upon him from the hedge by the road-side, and demanded his money and his watch, or else he said he would have his life; and the prisoner closed with him, and beat him severely, inflict. ing such injuries that he died shortly afterwards. This man turned out to be the accused, and it was supposed that he had made the pretended attempt to rob the prisoner out of joke-, which, however, ended in this fatal manner. The prisoner all along to!d the same story, and there did not appear to be the slightest grounds for believing that it was otherwise than the truth. Mr. Justice COLTMAN, after hearing the evidence of the witnesses, said, it appeared to be quite clear that the prisoner had acted under the impression that he was protecting his own life from the attack of a robber, and, under such c'tcutnstance, he could not be held to be criminally respor.sible. The jury accordingly returned a verdict of Not Guilty, and the prisoner was at once discharged from custody. The prisoner Cheeseman was this (Friday) morning brought up to receive the judgment of the Court, and Mr. Justice COLTMAN, after making some appropriate remarks upon the very aggravated character of his offence, sentenced him to be transported for 15 years.  WESTERN ClRCUlT.—Devizes, July 23.