East Street, Rockhampton, c1897

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East Street, c1897

Rockhampton Police Court
Thursday 9 December 1886

Before Mr G L Lukin, Police Magistrate

Resisting and Assaulting the Police

Patrick Ryan, on remand and on bail, appeared to answer the above charge. 

- Samuel Campbell, a police constable stated: 

I know the accused; I was in East Street about half-past six on Tuesday evening, and saw a buggy meet with an accident; went up, and saw that Ryan's sociable had run into a buggy belonging to Mr. W. C. Clements; I heard Ryan make use of bad language alongside his own trap, and I cautioned him; he called Mr Clements a -------- cow, and said he would teach him to break his pole, and make him pay £5 for it; witness said : "You are not to make use of such language as that to anyone. Take your buggy out of the street at once;" he said he would stay there as long as he chose, go away when he was ready, and that he would remain in defiance of him or any other constable; he also called witness a --------- liar, and repeated that he would stay there; witness then arrested him; there was a crowd of people and buggies round; Ryan resisted violently, and tripped and threw witness down in the street' Constable Howard came to his relief; after a consisderable time wtiness got him to the watch-house; he got his arm loose, and struck witness across the face. 

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The Police Magistrate said that the defendant, in resisting the police, did wrong. Of course it was very natural he should be irritated and annoyed at breaking his pole, but leaving out the question of sobriety or drunkeness, there was the fact - sworn to by his own witnesses - that he used language he should not have uttered. So far, his conduct was, under the circumstances, excusable; but what earthly use was it for him to resist? If a man escaped he would be arrested again, and no matter what the charge was in the first instance he must get out of Queensland or answer to it. It was annoying to be arrested, but it was perfectly useless to resist, no matter whether a man was in the right or not. He would make an allowance for the natural irritation, but he must inflict a penalty for resisting the police. The fine was 10s. He cautioned Ryan to be more careful in the future.


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View of East Street, Rockhampton showing carts, horses and buildings.

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