“A Tantalising Tart wants her old man bound over”. That was the heading in the News Papers.

Case dismissed!

Years of being the punching bag and hearing herself described in vile and despicable ways by her husband and now she had finally gone to court. This time George had gone too far, this time he had threatened her with a gun.

Mary had gone to her daughter’s house because she wanted to see her daughter. She hadn’t seen her for months. She tried to go only when her husband, who lived with her daughter, was not at home. This time she had misjudged the time. George had been there and as soon as he saw her he started to swear at her. He swung at her and missed, he then went to get his gun. Her children had held him off and she had run back to her home shaking. This time she was going to do something about it. This time she was going to call the police.

The police came and took her statement and she told them that she wanted to follow it up. So the case went to court. It wasn’t even heard. The judge looked at her from on high, in that dark room with his wig on, making his judgment without even asking her what had happened. The Judge, Mr. Isaac declaimed, “on the evidence of the complainant, you have frequently gone to the house where your husband resides, even though you know your presence annoys him. It is ridiculous for you to come to court and swear that you are in bodily fear of him. You went to his residence, not he to yours. I will hear no evidence”.