A scuffle in the street, a knife, a stranger - just an argument over a girl or something more?

The magistrates are grinding the mill of justice today in Penzance Guildhall and fines are being handed out to the poor of Penwith but some unexpected wealth comes to light......

Stalking is not a new offence it seems thought the term was not used to describe what happened to St Ives MP T.B. Bolitho in the early 1890s.

It’s been a dismal day in court. Dismal, that is, for those of us on the Bench who still hold out a glimmer of hope for the youth of West Cornwall in general – and Penzance in particular.

Regular readers may remember that, on October 26^th, we left two Penzance men awaiting sentence. Here is the third and final part of the story. If the wait has seemed long to you, imagine how it might have felt to them…

Lawyer Lanyon was arrested yesterday, along with Richard Stevens and now they're up before the magistratefor forgery and perjury..........

Morrab Place, bastion of middle class values, has been raided by the police and there they go, prisoner discretely held between them............. 

Fishpaste Gang's crime spree in Market Jew Street ends in 12 month cinema ban in Juvenile Court.

My pal Charlie’s in a spot of bother. He's landed up in court due to what the Chief Constable’s seen fit to refer to as his “unfortunate attitude”.  

Miss M is notorious, she has a history of misdemeanours and when roused has a tendancy to fly into a fury of window breaking. And now she's up before the bench again......

A fine load of mugs they all sounded in the witness box today, the victims. Taken for a ride, all right: motor car or otherwise. It was as if they were falling over themselves: a sovereign here, ten shillings there........

The Crown employed supervisors to check blowing houses and smelters to ensure that coinage tax was paid, but it wasn't always straightforward as in this incident on New Street Stairs... 

St Ives Coastguards had a busy time in July 1831 seizing nearly 450 tubs of brandy and gin and assorted other contraband......

Cycling can be a dangerous business when Ludgvan's on your route....

Penzance: the magistrates are busy. In fact so busy that the Mayor was taken ill yesterday, and had to go home. What’s been happening? Well, it’s the new pre-fabs they’re building over at New Street. Or supposed to be building.

In 1882 it seems to have been more acceptable to use a horsewhip on a woman than to abuse a horse or donkey.......

In their accounts of the Petty Sessions local newspapers can shine a light on the murky affairs of the past, often to reveal that they are in fact little different from the present......