Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 16 September 1932

Cowardly Assault

Attack on Swinton “Bookie”

For what was described as a cowardly assault on Robert Lee, bookmaker and commission agent, 35, Wath Road, Swinton, Reginald Hague, unemployed miner, Mexboro’ was ordered to pay £6 at Doncaster on Saturday.

Mr. A. S. Furniss, who appeared for Lee, said it was one of the most unprovoked and unjustifiable assaults possible. Defendant had been in the habit of making bets with Lee. Six or seven weeks ago complainant found that he was being systematically defrauded by Hague, who was getting his slips back again, altering them after the event, and returning them the next day and saying he had not been paid out properly. Some time afterwards Hague told Lee that he would “do him in” if the money was not paid, and later told him that he “had to go through it.” On Sept. 1st, about 10-5 p.m., Lee was going home by himself and was stopped at the junction of Wath Road, Mexboro’, by Hague, who asked him if he was going to give him the money which defendant alleged was due to him. Hague then pulled him round and struck him a violent blow in the mouth, smashing his false teeth, which cost £8. Lee also received two further blows in the face.

Lee bore out this statement, and Horace Deakin, 2, Wath Road, Mexboro’, who appeared on subpoena, said he saw Hague strike one blow. Witness intervened and Lee got away, whereupon Hague threatened “to give him (Deakin) some.”

Hague’s version was that Lee was the aggressor. He asked complainant when he was going to pay him, and Lee replied that he would sooner fight or do anything than pay. Lee twice tried to strike him, and when he went for him a third time witness hit him in self-defence.

In support of his statement Hague called his wife, son, and Valentine Sleight as witness.

The magistrates, however, found Hague guilty, and Inspector Taylor said he had a bad record, having 19 convictions, of which five were for common assault. He had not been before the magistrates, however, for six years.

The Chairman (Mr. G. E. Cooke-Yarborough) said it was a cowardly assault, and but for the fact that for the last six years he had a clean record Hague would have gone to prison. They were giving him another chance, and he would have to pay £3 for the assault, £3 for the damage to the teeth, to be paid at the rate of 10s. a week, and be bound over for two years.