While on night duty myself and a young probationary constable were directed to attend a domestic dispute.
The divisional controller informed us that wife was alleging assault against her drunken husband.
We arrived at the house, and could see the wife had a bruised and swelling left eye and red and swollen cheek.
I asked her “Please tell us what happened?” And the story was that hubby had come home in the wee small hours drunk and an argument started about his wasting money with his boozing friends, not coming home at a reasonable time. Spending more time with his mates than with his wife, and so on…
My colleague, despite my telling him not to take sides jumped in as it were, both feet first.
He remonstrated most strongly with the husband, pointing the finger telling him that he should be ashamed of himself and that we were going to arrest him and put him court and that he could go to gaol. He continued generally berating the man.
The drunk just hung his head, mumbling apologies; but I couldn’t shut the indignant constable up!
The wife stood quietly by at first seemingly pleased that this young bobby was supporting her. But, as the young bobby tore into her husband her mood began to change. I had seen it before, I thought that fireworks will start any time soon.
She became angry as my colleague went on and suddenly reached for an umbrella leaning in the corner; was she going to assault the husband?
Not knowing what she was going to do with the brolly I tried to stop the probationer by pulling him aside.
But she wasn’t going to let anyone talk like that to her husband no, that was her privilege. She promptly was hit the probationer over the head with the umbrella denting his nice new cap.
The young constable was astonished and didn’t know what had hit him. I had to step in and restrain the aggressive wife.
I arrested her for assaulting the Police Officer, she turned on both of us and we had to be put her in handcuffs, the husband was seated in an armchair looking bemused.
We transported the wife to the police station where she finally calmed down and was very apologetic about her behaviour.
She did not want to make a complaint against the husband for her black eye, (which so often happened in those days).
The husband was too drunk to do or remember anything. He probably just slept it off.
The probationer suffered only injury to his pride he did not want to go to court so the matter was dropped and the lady cautioned, then released.
I asked the young bobby what he had learned? He told me that he would never get involved in a domestic ever again. The rest of the unit would rub it in a bit for a little while anyway!
A lesson well learned.
I bet that she gave her husband a rough time when he was sober though.
Domestics are very, very difficult, many murders each year start out as mere domestics. Frightening!
In Loving Memory!
One night duty I was directed to an address in the more well off part of the city.
My direction was to seek out the householder and with kid gloves tell him about a sudden death.
He had a severe heart condition the controller informed me, please would I take extra care?
His Mother had been to visit him that day and she had returned home. The home was just over the force boundary on another force area. The lady had died and they had been called to deal with a sudden death. Could we carefully inform the son who was next of kin.
I knocked on the door and this elderly man poked his head out of the bedroom window asking who I was, and what I wanted?
I asked him if he was Mr so and so? He was. Could I have a private word with him regarding a delicate matter?
He opened the door and let us in. I asked him to take a seat and tried to carefully prepare him for bad news.
“I am sorry to say that I have some sad and distressing news for you Mr ???????
He waited.
We have had a message from the police at; I mentioned the name of the village on the other force area. “I understand that your mother visited you today?”
“Yes but she had gone back home in the afternoon”.
“I am sorry to inform you that the such and such police service were called to your mothers address this evening and I have inform you that sadly your mother has passed away”
He pointed his face toward the door and the stairs to the bedroom and shouted with a loud voice; “Ethel. Mothers dead!”
We left after letting him know who to speak with.
Back in the patrol car my colleague and I both said; “So much for the softly, softly approach!”
Bereavement takes people differently!
You never know do you!