Sarah Burk

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Ron Garbutt on 19th March 2020

Trial Proceedings. SARAH BURKE. Theft: pocketpicking. 3rd July 1828 Reference Number t18280703-71 Verdict Guilty Sentence Transportation Sarah Burke b. 1802, 8 records 1419. SARAH BURKE was indicted for stealing, on the 16th of June , 7 shillings, and 1 sixpence, the monies of John Milne , from his person . JOHN MILNE. I am a mariner , belonging to the General Steam Navigation Company. I had been to see some of my acquaintances, and was in Ratcliff-highway at a quarterpast one o'clock in the morning of the 6th of June: I was bidding another man good night - the prisoner came up, turned my pocket inside out, and took my money in a moment: I did not know her before - I had 7s. 6d. in my breeches pocket, and it was safe four minutes before; she only said where was I going, and then turned out my pocket; some of my money fell down; I took hold of her hand, and asked for my money; a man, calling himself her husband, came and told me to let his wife go; I called the watchman, and gave her in charge; I had 7s. 6d. in my pocket - I got 2s. back. JAMES CARROLL . I am a watchman. I heard the prosecutor cry Watch! I went up to the place, and found him and the prisoner in a row with some other persons; he gave charge of her for robbing him of 7s. 6d. - she denied it; she had dropped 1s. before I came up - it was given me to take to the watch-house, and in going along she dropped another shilling from her person - she stooped took it up; I took it from her hand. The prisoner put in a written Defence, stating that her husband had occasion to step aside for a short time, when the prosecutor, who had passed her with two girls, returned, and accosted her as a prostitute - he continued to follow her, and she could not get rid of him till near the watch-house, when he charged her with robbing him. JOHN MILNE re-examined. Q. Upon your solemn oath had you had any conversation with her before this money was taken? A. No; her husband came to the Thames Police-office the next morning, and offered to pay me the money if I would let her go and go and get something to drink. JAMES CARROLL re-examined. I was standing by the prosecutor at the office - the prisoner's husband came up, and said, "If you will take your oath she took the money, I will pay it you, and we will have something to drink." I have been a watchman about twelve years. GUILTY . Aged 26. Transported for Fourteen Years . https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18280703-71-defend527&div=t18280703-71#highlight