Postby dognose » Mon Mar 08, 2021 12:46 pm
SAMUEL CHARLES DEAN
Sidcup, Kent
Dealing in Plate without a Licence. — At Bromley (Kent), on the 8th ult., Samuel Charles Dean, jeweller, of Sidcup, was summoned by the commissioners of the Inland Revenue for dealing in plate without a licence. On February 25 an officer of the Inland Revenue purchased at the defendant's shop a silver locket for £1. At the time the defendant had no plate dealer's licence, the one which he had taken out having expired some considerable time previously. Mr. L. W. Gregory, solicitor, who appeared for the defendant, said the licence had been taken out, and the Crown authorities were no losers in the matter. He asked for a small penalty to be imposed. The Chairman of the Justices said it was perfectly clear that the defendant had been warned in this matter, and when caught he tried to get out of it by some device. Now the Act provided a penalty up to £50. The Justices considered that if offences of this kind against the Crown were not stopped they would be repeated over and over again. There was a question as to costs, whether, whilst the Crown prosecuted, the costs could be given in addition to the penalty which the Justices might impose. At the present time the licences would be made over to the County Council, and it was a very serious matter for consideration whether they should be bound by their present decision, for something of the sort might occur that the Crown might prosecute and the County Council not pay the costs. They, therefore, did not intend their present to be a precedent for future decisions in any similar case that might come before them. The defendant would be fined £5, including costs.
Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st May 1889
Trev.