Crime continued in Blitz Belfast. The papers reported various punishments given by the courts. Mr J.H. Campbell K.C. R.M. sentenced a number of offenders.
John Maquire, an 18 year old youth, was fined 40 shillings for saying ‘Up Hitler’ in Leeson Street. Campbell said that he did not send him to prison as he came quietly.[1]
John Freeman was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for looting. Campbell told Freeman ‘if you were a decent man, you would have been trying to help people instead of stealing from them’.
Samuel Barbour, Robert Ballard and William Brown were sent to prison between four and six months with hard labour for looting lead from a building. The defendants said they stole the lead to sell it for food.[2]
[1] Irish Weekly, 3 May 1941, p.3.
[2] Irish Weekly, 26 April 1941, p.4.