South Yorkshire Times — Saturday, 16 January 1954
“Seeking What They Could Find”
Eleven Associated “For the Purpose of Crime”
Eleven young men stood in the dock at the West Riding Quarter Sessions, Wakefield, on Tuesday, and heard prosecuting counsel say that for a considerable time they had associated together for the purpose of crime.
After hearing the evidence, sentences on the eleven accused were postponed until the following day to allow them to be medically examined.
They were:—
Malcolm Atkinson (18), haulage hand, of Adwick Sidings, Wath-on-Dearne, who pleaded “guilty” to three charges of breaking and entering and theft — at the shop of Sidney Johnson, Doncaster Road, Harlington, and stealing two tins of chocolate biscuits worth £2 12s.; and at the store of Winifred Mary Egglestone, Denaby Lane, Old Denaby, and stealing lollipops, ice cream and orange squash; and at the shop of Ralph Blinkco, at Mexborough, and stealing chocolate biscuits, chocolate, sweets, cigarettes, fruit and balloons worth, in all, £5 3s. 10d.
William McGarrigle (18), soldier, of Oak Road, Mexborough, and Harry Hartley (17), railway cleaner of Simpson’s Place, Mexborough, pleaded “guilty” to the charge of shopbreaking and theft at Harlington.
Hartley, along with William Manion (17), railway cleaner, of Central Avenue, Swinton, James Edward Williams (18), naval rating, of Sarah Street, Mexborough, and Albert Bramhall (20), colliery pony-driver, of Garden Street, Mexborough, pleaded “guilty” to the charge of shopbreaking and theft at Mexborough.
Manion and Williams, along with Leslie Winnard (17), colliery lamp-room attendant, of 8, Phoenix Street, Mexborough, William Calladine (18), soldier, of Oak Road, Mexborough, and Thomas Alwyn Stead (17), naval rating, of Windhill Crescent, Mexborough, pleaded “guilty” to the charge of breaking and theft at Old Denaby.
Peter Breeze (17), haulage hand, of Schofield Street, Mexborough, and a 16-year-old haulage hand pleaded “not guilty” to shopbreaking at Harlington but “guilty” to receiving the two tins of chocolate biscuits stolen in the theft. These pleas were accepted by the prosecution.
All but two of the 11 accused — McGarrigle and the 16-year-old haulage hand — asked for other offences to be taken into consideration as follows: Atkinson, 22 cases; Hartley, 10; Manion and Williams, 9 each; Winnard 8; Calladine 5; Stead, 4; Bramhall, 3; and Breeze, 1.
On Wednesday the chairman, His Honour William Stewart, sent Atkinson, Hartley, Manion, Williams and Winnard for Borstal training.
Calladine, Stead, Bramhall and McGarrigle were conditionally discharged.
Breeze and the 16-year-old haulage hand were absolutely discharged.
Atkinson was told by the chairman that from some points of view he was probably the leading spirit.
The four others he was sending to Borstal had associated themselves with Atkinson and all had asked for a number of other crimes to be considered. “It seems you conspired together to set about a foray on any premises you could find — you wandered about looking for premises you could conveniently break into,” said the chairman.
Mr. H. G. Bennett, prosecuting, said on no occasion had they all appeared together in one offence. The period covered by their crimes was between June and September of last year. All the accused came from very respectable and good homes and there seemed to be little reason, in their backgrounds, for offences of that nature.
“It must be a comfort to the residents of the Mexborough district to know that this gang has been caught for they have been making a nuisance of themselves there,” said Mr. Bennett.
The prosecution went on to refer to statements made by the various accused and said that from these it was apparent that the men met together late at night and went around seeking what they could find. At one time or another they had tried to break open allotment sheds, lock-up shops and meters in telephone kiosks. It seemed they had no set plans in mind — they merely went around seeking the opportunity.
Mr. Bennett referred to Atkinson’s statement to the police as an “appalling document” which set out 22 other offences in which he had a part. “No property was safe from this man. If he decided he wanted something he went out to get it.”
Stead, in his statement, described how one night they had frightened a night watchman at the waterworks, said Mr. Bennett. They had tied handkerchiefs around their faces and had gone to the watchman’s window and tapped on it. “Whether this was an attempt to commit an offence will not be known, but the watchman treated it with contempt and told them to get away. Unfortunately, they did not go home that night but went on to commit other offences.”
Police Constable A. Kitchen, dealing with the characters of the accused, said Atkinson had four previous convictions and had been to an approved school for a shopbreaking offence. Hartley had been admitted to the care of the Local Authority twice and returned to his mother’s care in 1951. He joined the Royal Armoured Corps last November but was discharged on medical grounds after two months. He had four previous convictions and was put on probation for two years in 1952 for indecent assault. That term of probation was still in force.
Manion had no previous convictions; neither had Williams, who joined the Royal Navy in November and was now stationed at a shore base in Hampshire. Winnard had been before the court once before when he was put on probation for two years for larceny.
Calladine, who joined the Royal Armoured Corps in November, had no previous convictions; neither had Stead, who had joined the Royal Navy in November and was stationed at a shore base in Hampshire.
McGarrigle, who was serving with the Royal Armoured Corps at Richmond, having joined the Army in November, had one previous conviction.
Bramhall, Breeze and the 16-year-old haulage hand had no previous convictions.