Evidence in his defence was given by Howell Thomas, the school’s second master who had witnessed the flogging; by the Reverend Mr. Waugh and by E. E. Morris who was the new headmaster of Melbourne Grammar School; by Professor Irving who was now at Hawthorn Grammar School, and a medical practitioner. Irving told the court that during his reign he had a rule always to flog a boy for persistent lying, and that he had usually flogged one boy each week; by the standards of the day he was probably lenient. Andrew told the court that he had had to punish the boys in order to save them from the police court.