HC Deb 03 March 1885 vol 294 cc1890-1
MR. SEXTON

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If the attention of the Irish Government has been directed to the fact that a man named Thomas Deane was lately arrested at Cappagh, county Gal way, on a charge of having set fire to a cock of hay, and, although ho was of good character, and had been 14 years in the same employment in the neighbourhood, the man was committed to bride well, and kept there for more than a fortnight, and when at last brought before the Ballinasloe Petty Sessions Bench, was discharged from custody, there being no evidence against him; and, whether the Irish Government will convey to the persons officially concerned an expression of opinion on this case, and will take some step to secure that respectable persons are not sent to prison to await a hearing of the charge against them unless a prima facie case is made?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I find that Deane was arrested on the charge referred to, and the reasons for his arrest were that he was found to have been in the locality of the burning on the night it occurred, and that footmarks which led from a path in the direction of his house to the scene of the fire were found to correspond exactly with his boots, and he subsequently admitted to the police that the marks were his. He also gave contradictory accounts of his movements on the night in question. He was brought before a magistrate, and remanded to prison for 14 days, pending further inquiries. He was then again brought up, and no further evidence being forthcoming, was discharged, the Bench remarking' that there was a strong case of suspicion against him, and that the absence of motive alone prevented them from sending the case forward for trial. The information I have received does not agree with what is stated in the Question as to Deane's character or length of employment in one situation; and, taking into account all the circumstances, I think a prima facie case for his detention was made out.

MR. SEXTON

Would the right hon. Gentleman state whether the place in which the footmarks were found was not a general public way; and whether Deane, when admitting that the footmarks were his, did not say that they must be old footmarks?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

said he was not aware. There was a sufficient prima facie case to justify what was done.