Another memorable time from the Magistrates Court actually took place in the lobby. I was almost knocked out by an angry woman who called me all kinds of things. This is how it unfolded……
Back in those days, if a Probation Officer wanted to have an offender recalled back to custody, it would have to be run through the Courts, in effect as a prosecution. I should say these days it is more of an administrative process once a decision has been made.
I was on duty in Court when a man was brought into the dock and the allegation was put to him about being in breach of his prison licence. This means he was technically a prisoner and yet in the community to serve the latter part of his sentence. One of the conditions was to cooperate and attend appointments with his Probation Officer. He hadn’t complied and therefore had been summoned to appear in Court.
The clerk of the Court asked him if he wanted to plead guilty or not guilty to the allegation made by the Probation Service. He pleaded not guilty and this meant there had to be a trial which he as happy to proceed with there and then.
I was slightly unnerved by this. I wasn’t familiar with the case and I certainly wasn’t expecting to take part in a trial.
Also in the Court were some members of his family and his girlfriend who had begun glaring at me, whenever I said or did anything.
I explained to the Court a little bit of the background as I thumbed through the badly organised file. He had been in prison for several years following a nasty offence. In the community, while he had lived where his Probation Officer had arranged for him, he hadn’t cooperated very well. In fact he hadn’t attended any of the appointments and hadn’t provided any explanation for his missed appointments. Therefore it was fair to say there was no benefit for the defendant in being under the supervision of a Probation Officer and may just as well go back to prison and serve the rest of his sentence.
He was asked if there was anything he would like to say in defence. He moaned and complained about life being unfair and then cheerfully offered to comply in the future.
Next it was for the Magistrates to decide their verdict and then announce their decision as to how he should be dealt with. I remember getting ready to stand as I was expecting the Magistrates to retire for a cup of tea and weigh things up. Instead they muttered quietly amongst themselves and nodded to each other in reaching a decision.
“Mr Smith, would you stand please?” Said the chair of the bench.
”We find you guilty of failing to attend the appointments with your Probation Officer without a reasonable excuse. We are therefore returning you to Prison where you will serve the rest of your sentence. Go with the Officer”
He was handcuffed in the dock and led to the cells. His girlfriend kicked up a fuss in the Courtroom and the entourage tutted and huffed. They went out into the lobby.
The Magistrates thanked me for what was a difficult case, they knew I had been put on the spot a little. They decided to have a cup of tea before the next case and this gave me an opportunity to speak to his girlfriend.
I approached the girlfriend in the lobby and she stepped forward from her enterage. My intention was to ask if she would like me to arrange for her to see him before he went off in the van. I started by saying he would be going to Bedford Prison tonight and then suddenly she took a swing at me. Instinctively I pulled back and felt the rush of air on my face as her hand missed me by a fraction of an inch.
She called me a bastard and this caught the attention of the security guards who came running over. The girlfriend left along with the entourage who were also calling me a bastard and everything else. The guards asked if I wanted the Police called or anything. No need I said.
Sure I was a bit shaken up by this. As the Magistrates were having their cups of tea, I decided to go and have a few minutes to myself. None of my colleagues were in Court that day and even the WRVS shop was closed, so I felt very much alone. I made a very matter-of-fact note on his file about the incident and left it there.
Nothing else was ever said about the incident, not even by his Probation Officer.
All in a day’s work.