William Steers

135

C H on 11th April 2024

Old Bailey Online WILLIAM STEERS. ELIZABETH STEERS. Breaking Peace; wounding. 6th May 1850 Text type Trial account Defendants WILLIAM STEERS, ELIZABETH STEERS Offences Breaking Peace > Wounding Session Date 6th May 1850 Reference Number t18500506-973 Verdicts Guilty, Guilty Punishments Transportation, Imprisonment 973. WILLIAM STEERS and ELIZABETH STEERS , feloniously cutting and wounding Richard Burn on his right side, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm:—2nd COUNT, to resist the lawful apprehension and detainer of William Steers. MESSRS. BODKIN and CLERK conducted the Prosecution. AMELIA WARD . I live at 5, Francis-street Old-street-road; I am a prostitute, the same as Elizabeth Steers; the prisoners live in the house opposite mine. On Sunday, 10th March, William Steers came to my door between four and five o'clock in the morning—he knocked at the door two or three times—I did not let him in—I shut him out once or twice—at last he shoved the door open and came in—another man followed him in, and the female prisoner—they came in one after the other—William Steers went to the washhand-stand and broke the basin—he then went to the mantel-piece and dragged a picture down—he then hit a friend of mine, William Risley, who was there, and when he had done beating him, he came and beat me—I am not aware that he had anything in his hand then, but after he had beat me as long as he could stand over me, he took up this quart jug (produced) and broke it over my head—my head bled, and the blood is on the jug now—as soon as I could get from him I ran into the street and called the police—I said, "For God's sake help me, or else I shall be murdered"—the policeman happened to be just passing the door—as soon as he came up, I lost my senses—I do not recollect what passed—when I ran out into the street I do not know what became of the prisoner—I leaned against the wall—there was nothing done to me in the street that I know of—when I recovered, I found myself leaning against the wall—I do not think the policeman came into my house—when I crossed to the prisoner's place to give them in charge, the female prisoner pulled my hair, just where my head was wounded—they were both tipsy. Cross-examined by MR. ROBINSON. Q. When you recovered you went over to the prisoners' house? A. Yes, to give them in charge—the door was open—the basin that William Steers broke was my own; it was not one that Risley had brought from the prisoner's house—the female prisoner brought it over the day before—Risley did not say it was his—of course what is in my place belongs to myself—I will swear that Risley did not say the basin was his—the jug has been in my possession ever since—Risley is not here to-day; he was before the Magistrate, but was not examined—I do not know what Risley was doing while William Steers was beating me—I did not see him strike William Steers—I did not see any mark or blow that Risley gave him—I was not attended by any surgeon—washing my head with warm water cured it—Risley does not live in my house; he comes there backwards and forwards—he was sitting there with the door shut, for three or four hours before William Steers came—he bad not come in from the prisoner's house a few minutes before. WILLIAM ALSWORTH (policeman, N 71). On Sunday, 10th March, I was on duty in Francis-street—I saw Ward standing leaning against a wall—the blood was running from a wound in her head down her face and clothes—she appeared to be in a very bad state—she said, "For God's sake, policeman, come here, I shall be murdered"—she said that Steers and his wife had come and burst her door open, and had beaten her, a man who was in the house, and another female, with the poker and tongs, about the head, and likewise with a jug—I did not see the prisoners at that time; they were in their own house, and the door fastened—I did not see them go in—in consequence of what Ward said, I went and knocked at the prisoner's door—one of them made answer, "Who is there?"—I said, "The police"—a man's voice said, "There you are like to be"—I asked them a second time to open the door—he refused, and I then forced the door open—I was in my uniform as a policeman—I went into the house—I saw both the prisoners—I told them I wanted them—they asked me what for—I told them the charge; and William Steers said if I did not go out, be would serve me as he bad the rest of them—he refused to come out—I then took him by the collar and dragged him out—I then sprang my rattle, and got the assistance of another constable, Burns—I wanted him to go into the house and apprehend the other, but he said he would sooner take the one I had—I then gave him William Steers in custody—I then went into the house, but I returned and saw Burns on the pavement, and William Steers was on the top of him, with his left foot just above his stomach—William Steers had this leg of a chair in his right hand, and he was making a blow at Burns as I came to him—I did not see him strike him—he said, "I will stamp your b—y guts out"—I took hold of him by the collar and dragged him to the station with a great deal of trouble—Burns could scarcely stand when he got up—he could not assist me in any way whatever—Elizabeth Steers was there; she had the officer by the collar, or the arm, I could not see properly which, so as to encumber him—I had gone into their house the second time after another man who was there. Cross-examined. Q. On your oath did you never see Burns attempt to strike a blow? A. Yes; on the man, not on the woman—when he was lying on the ground, he was trying to do as well as he could—I did not see William Steers receive any blow—I saw that he had received blows about the head—there was blood coming from his head, it was running down his clothes and shirt when I had him by the collar—when Ward said something about murder, the prisoners were in their own house—I forced the door open—it did not want breaking, it was a little spring lock; I gave it a shove with my arm and shoulder—I did not put my foot against it—I forced it open in the best manner I could—I will not swear that I did not put my foot against it—I went into the house and seized William Steers—I grasped him by the neck-handkerchief—he had no jacket on—I dragged him into the street in the best way I could, or I should have got what I was promised, if it had not been for a little help—he said if I did not get out, he would serve me as he had done the others—Elizabeth Steers was coming to the assistance of her husband, when some persons in the house prevented her from touching me—I might have dragged William Steers a couple or three yards from the door when Burns came up—I dare say it was more than five minutes before Burns came up—he took William Steers, and I went to go into the house—I wanted to get Elizabeth Steers and another man who was there—they were all three given into my custody—I did not lay a hand on Elizabeth Steers—I do not know that William Steers was attended by a medical man in the House of Detention—I know he had a wound in his head—I afterwards picked up this leg of the chair in the street, just by where Burns had lain—on my oath I did not go into a house next door to the prisoner's, and get it the next day—I picked it up as soon as I got back from the station, in about half an hour—Burns had his truncheon in his hand—I have stated before, that William Steers said he would stamp Burn's guts out—I stated it to the other constable, and I stated it before the Magistrate. MR. CLERK. Q. At the time you took William Steers from his house, had be the leg of the chair in his hand? A. He bad not at that time; I believe he picked it up out of the street—he had it in his hand, however—I observed that he had blood about him, but I did not see that his head was bleeding till I got to the station. RICHARD BURNS (policeman, G 204). On Sunday, 10th March, my attention was called by the springing of a rattle in Francis-street, Old-street-road—I found Alsworth, with William Steers in his custody—he gave him into my charge, and went away to the house in quest of the other man—after he was gone, William Steers put his leg round mine, and threw me to the ground—when I was on the ground, he commenced kicking me and beating me with the stick, while Elizabeth Steers held me down by the hair of my head—I cannot say whether William Steers had this stick in his hand when I took charge of him—he hit me on the back, and on the back of the head—I cannot say whether he hit me on the back of my head with the stick, or kicked me there—he kicked me two or three times—while I was down, Elizabeth Steers held me on the ground by the hair of my head, and with her hand on ray forehead also—she did not do anything else to me—at the time she was holding me down by the hair of my head, William Steers was kneeling on me, and he stamped once or twice on my stomach—I received a wound just by the loins—I cannot say how that was done—I have not been able to go on duty since. Cross-examined. Q. As soon as William steers was left in your custody, there was a struggle? A. Yes; he wanted to get away—he swung his leg round mine, and threw me to the ground—I struck him once or twice over the wrists—I did not strike him on the head at all—I struck him with my truncheon while I was standing up. COURT. Q. Had you struck him before he attempted to throw you down? A. Yes, before he succeeded in throwing me down—I struck him because he had got hold of my hair and was struggling to get a way—I received a blow on the back of my head, but I cannot say with what—I was on the ground when the other officer came to my assistance. JOHN BUBBERS MATHER . I am a surgeon. On Monday, 11th March, I examined Burns—I found him very much injured about the head, and neck, and loins—the nape of his neck was very much contused and inflamed—he was suffering very severely—on the right side of his loins there was a wound as if made with some blunt instrument—the neighbourhood of the loins was very much swollen and inflamed—the blows on the head and neck produced contusion of the brain, with epileptic fits—he is still under my care, and even now I have thought it necessary to have another man with him to watch him. Cross-examined. Q. The principal blow was at the back of his neck? A. One of them was; the injury to the brain was from the blows on the head and neck—they would unquestionably produce the effects I have described. COURT. Q. Was there any wound you would call a cut? A. The wound on the loins was not cut as an incised wound, but as with the toe of the boot—the skin was rolled up, and the flesh was raw under it—it might have been by a kick, or a blow, or a thrust from this instrument—it could not have been by a fall in that position. WILLIAM STEERS— GUILTY . Aged 27.— Transported for Ten Years. ELIZABETH STEERS— GUILTY . Aged 38.— Confined Eighteen Months.