South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 22 August 1942

Food Wasted

Low Valley Miner Sentenced

John Jackson (29), miner, of 26, George Street, Low Valley, was committed to prison for one month by the Barnsley West Riding magistrates on Wednesday, charged with a breach of the Waste of Food Order.

He pleaded not guilty and was defended by Mr. L. Wagstaff.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Darfield Food Committee, Mr. Norman Goodyear said it was alleged that on July 15th Jackson actually destroyed a week’s food ration of his wife and three children. On that day, Mrs. Jackson called at the Darfield Food Office and asked for a permit to obtain a supply of food. She was asked why she needed a permit and replied that the previous evening, at about 8.30, her husband came into the house and asked her for 5/-, Mrs. Jackson told him she had no money and the defendant then said “If you cannot give me 5/-, I’ll see that you and the kids don’t get anything to eat.” He then threw eggs and bacon on the fire. He hurled a piece of butter across the room and it stuck on the sideboard. After this he deliberately scattered sugar and tea on the kitchen floor.

Ernest Briggs, chief assistant at the Darfield Office, said that after receiving a complaint from Mrs. Jackson he visited her house and found the kitchen in a state of great disorder. There was a piece of butter or margarine sticking to the sideboard and there was sugar and tea on the floor. Glass was strewn all over the place.

Replying to Mr. Wagstaff, Mrs. Jackson denied having made accusations against her husband or that she had thrown the sugar basin, tea pot and a plant pot at him.

Jackson told the Court that when he went into the house his wife accused him of having associated with another woman and he struck her. She picked up the sugar basin and banged it at him. He tried to save the other things from being knocked off the table but was unable to do so as his wife threw the tea pot at him