John E. Scudds ca 1929

The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday 3 June 1948. Seven youths were acquitted in Darlinghurst Quarter Sessions yesterday of charges of having carnally known and indecently assaulted a 15-year-old girl at Mascot on January 31. The youths defence was that what had happened was with the girl's consent, and that they believed she was 16. The accused were Ray Kenneth Williams, 20, labourer; Jack Edward Mills, 19, greengrocer; Maurice Francis Bingle, 20, lorry driver; William Dean, l8, labourer; John Scudds, 19, carpenter; Reginald Arthur Keith Walker, 20, labourer; and Vincent Bernard Murphy, l8, labourer. All the accused made statements to the police admitting the offence, except Dean and Walker. They said they were present, but, did not take part in the offence.