Leeds Mercury – Monday 22 August 1927

Night Poaching

Scores Of Men Said To Be Living  By this Means.

Prosecuting three men for night poaching at Doncaster West Riding police-court today, Mr. W. Lindsay Crawford, solicitor, said there were at present scores of men – he did not think he would exaggerating if said they ran into three figures—who were known to living on poaching in the Doncaster district.

Theso men came practically from three districts. This night poaching was a very serious matter. On the Brodsworth estate alone, he was informed, apart from the value what was taken by poachers, it would be impossible to figure the actual damage done to the crops by reason trespassing.

The men before the Court were Tom Wood head, miner, Mexborough, and Albert Fletcher and John Duggan, miners, of Thurnscoe.

They were charged with night poaching on the Brodsworth estate on August 20th, and with taking fifty-seven rabbits from a close of land the estate. They pleaded guilty.

Duggan was also charged with assaulting a keeper, and pleaded not guilty to this charge.

Mr. Crawford stated that five keepers were concealed in wood a private drive from Hickleton. Nine men approached and the keepers raided them. They secured three, but six got away.

The keepers found seven nets each eighty yards long, twenty pegs, seven bags, five cudgels and fifty-seven warm and newly killed rabbits.

Duggan struck a  keeper named Titstone in the chest, knocked him down and kicked him while he was on the ground.

The magistrates said they were determined to stop this night poaching. Woodhead and Duggan were each sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and Duggan received and additional month for the assault. Fletcher, previously convicted of night poaching, was sentenced to four month’s imprisonment.