I couldn't find any other press reports, wartime or other, relating to this man. Can we identify him and his regiment? The Welsh Regiment?
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"Illtreating a sheep by kicking it" was the charge preferred against Thomas Coombes, (30), colliery labourer of Ystrad Rhondda. Coombes has only recently returned after serving at the front, and previous to this saw six years' service in India. The plea put forward by defendant for the defence was that he was drunk at the time. Whenever he took a drop of drink he did not know what he was about. A witness, Lewis Lewis, spoke to seeing defendant kick the sheep. He was then holding on to it by its horns. The sheep pulled him over and he then held on by one hand and punched the sheep with the other. For the defence the defendant urged that the sheep came to his fowl cot and broke a nest of eggs for him. He was drunk at the time, and although he remembered nothing of the affair then, he was told that he had illused the sheep.
Stipendiary (to Supt. Cole): Is there any reason to suppose that he does know what he is about when he takes drink?
Supt.: I don't know, sir.
P.C. Ashton said he had examined the sheep, its horn was bloodshot, and blood oozed from it. The inside of the bottom jaw was bruised, and blood was flowing freely from the mouth and nostrils. It seemed to be in great pain and exhausted. Defendant asked to be allowed to put in his character from the Army.
Upon examining same, the Stipendiary said they were excellent references. He found from them that he was entitled to decoration for services in South Africa. He advised defendant to keep them and added that he seemed to be a most excellent and useful young man.
Defendant said he had been in the Army 13 years, and his sheet was a clean one. He remembered nothing about the incident for which he was summoned. For the future he would abstain from taking any drink whatever.
The Bench imposed a fine of 30s.
(The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News, 27th April 1901)
