Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 22 May 1931
Prison for Stabbing
Knife used in Mexborough Quarrel
As a sequel to a quarrel between two Mexborough men in which it was alleged one of them attacked the other with a knife, William Isaac Ibbertson, labourer, was at Doncaster on Tuesday charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on Albert Prince, unemployed miner. There was a cross summons against Prince for assaulting Ibbertson.
Mr W.L.Crawford, for Prince, said there was a dispute as to whether complainant had paid the full price for some pigs that defendant adding such a complaint to purchase. On May 11 Prince was in the yard when Ibbertson came in. Ibbertson said if he could not have the money he would have Prince and struck a blow at him. Prince warded off the blow with his arm and feeling a considerable amount of pain found there was a cut from his wrist to his fingers. After a struggle Ibbertson stabbed Prince under the eyes. Prince was taken to the Montagu Hospital and treated there.
PC Baugh said that when he spotted Ibbertson a reply “I should kill the man if he had not got away.”
Mr Furniss Ibbertson, said a row between these two men have been expected for some time. The reason Ibbertson had the knife in his hand was that he was trimming a wedge with it. He received four quick blows from Prince and in a fury struck out, forgetting he had a knife in his hand. Prince got Ibbertson’s thumb in his mouth and bit it and in pulling his thumb out Ibbertson’s knife cut Prince on the head.
The man was only scratched but it was at the point where there was a lot of blood. The assault had being grossly magnified. Ibbertson regretted that the knife was in his hand but the assault was so quick.
William Wright, 22 Catherine St, Mexborough said he saw Davidson come running out of princes yard with Prince behind him cursing and “blinding.”
Ibbertson on oath denied having said to PC Baugh that he would have killed Prince if he had not got away.
Ibbertson was sentenced to month’s imprisonment and the summons against Prince was dismissed.