Magistrate (Episode 4764)

The unnamed Magistrate sat on the bench when Les Battersby appeared in court in February 2000 on the charge of illegally claiming benefits. Convinced that he was going to be sent down, Les spent the time before his appearance getting tanked up in the Rovers and appeared in the dock thoroughly drunk, barely making it up the stairs to the courtroom. The proceedings had hardly got underway when Les asked if he could say a few words and, allowed permission, wife Janice was surprised as anyone to hear that she was pregnant with their third child, a story with which she was forced to concur. The Magistrate suspected Les had been drinking and warned him to be careful, upon which the defendant bowed lowed and apologised to “Your Highness”! The Magistrate held his temper and sentenced Les to one hundred and fifty hours community service. Les confessed afterwards that he was so drunk he couldn’t remember what he’d actually said in the court.