Sarah Cockburn

110

Ron Garbutt on 20th March 2020

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 20 March 2020), May 1828, trial of SARAH COCKBURN (t18280529-130). SARAH COCKBURN, Theft > simple larceny, 29th May 1828. 1208. SARAH COCKBURN was indicted for stealing, on the 1st of April , 1 sovereign , the money of Michael Forrest . MICHAEL FORREST. I met the prisoner in Oxford-street , on the 1st of April; she asked me to give her a pint of beer - we went into a public-house, and ordered some beer; I took one penny out of my right-hand waistcoat pocket; I put it on the table, and said I had not halfpence enough to pay for the beer: the landlord said, "If you call for beer, I expect you to pay for it, or I will take it back again;" I then took out a sovereign, laid it on the table, and said,"Take for it;" the prisoner took up the sovereign, and was making off with it; I said, "What are you going to do with that sovereign?" she said, "I have seen no sovereign; I seized her, and pulled her down - she got up, and got out; I followed her, and pulled her down again; I took her into the house, and the officer came and took her. THOMAS TEIRNEY . I was at the public-house with two friends; the prosecutor and prisoner came in - they sat in the next box to me, and called for a pint of porter; he put down a penny-piece; they stood some time, and the landlord was going to take the beer back; the prosecutor then put down a sovereign, and said, "Take the price of the beer out of that;" the prisoner took it up, and made towards the door; the prosecutor pursued her, and they had a scuffle outside the bar; she got up, and made into the street - he pursued her, and brought her back. ANGELIOUS BETRAUN . I took the prisoner; I searched her, but found no sovereign on her; she said she had had the sovereign, but had not got it, nor would she tell me who had got it - it has not been found; the prosecutor seemed sober. The prisoner put in a written defence, stating that the prosecutor had met her in St. Giles', and taken her to a public-house, where he changed a half-sovereign to pay for some beer and rum, and got intoxicated; he then took her to another house; and because she would not remain with him, he charged her with this offence. MICHAEL FORREST . I went to no other house, and did not change a half-sovereign. GUILTY . Aged 38. Transported for Seven Years . https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/print.jsp?div=t18280529-130