Before the Dingwall Sheriff

From the Inverness Advertiser, Tuesday, April 9, 1850.

Dingwall. Sheriff Criminal Court.  The following cases were set down for trial on Wednesday last, before the Sheriff-substitute and a jury […]

George Gillies, residing at Grista [Erista], and John Maclean, residing at Fimisgarry [Timsgarry], in the parish of Uig and Island of Lewis, accused of having broken into the parish church of Uig, and stolen therefrom a waterproof coat, some carpenters’ tools, and a pane of glass, pleaded not guilty. Mr Mackenzie, for the pannels [the accused], objected that the aggravation of housebreaking was not correctly or relevantly charged, and, after some discussion, the objection was sustained; and the case having been sent to a jury, without aggravation, they unanimously found the libel not proven, and the pannels were accordingly dismissed from the bar.

Angus Gillies, residing at Grista [Erista]; and Marion Matheson, or Gillies, his wife, accused of sheep-stealing, or reset of theft [receiving stolen goods], pleaded not guilty. Mr Mackenzie objected to the relevancy of the libel, that, though the pannels could not possibly be guilty of both offences, yet the affirmative part of the minor proposition set forth that they were guilty of the said crimes, instead of bearing that they were guilty of the said crime of theft, or reset of theft. The objection was repelled. After proof, the jury unanimously found the charge of theft not proven against either of the pannels; by a majority, that the charge of reset against Angus Gillies was not proven; but unanimously found the female pannel guilty of the reset, and she was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment in Dingwall jail. The court then adjourned till one o’clock on Thursday.