Recorder and undisciplined youth

The Times, London, 20 November 1931, p.4

England was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment in the second division, with 15 strokes of the birch, and Elvins to nine months’ imprisonment in the second division, with 18 strokes of the birch.At the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, before the Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.), GEORGE ENGLAND, 17, porter, and THOMAS ELVINS, 18, fitter, pleaded “Guilty” to assaulting Montague Joseph Golding, a messenger boy. Mr. Christmas Humphreys, prosecuting, said the two youths lay in wait for another young boy and then attacked and struck him on the head with a piece of lead. Both boys had good homes and employment, and without any apparent reason or excuse deliberately assaulted this inoffensive boy of 16. In passing sentence, the RECORDER said that this type of offence, armed robbery, was becoming quite prevalent in this country. Some people attributed it to the sensational Press and the cinemas, but the real thing was lack of discipline, morals, or religion on the part of many young men of to-day. He directed that a reward of £3 should be paid to Golding.