IT appeared on paper an ordinary case with a teenager accused of stealing a bicycle but ended in uproar with a judge astounded by a jury’s verdict and uniquely blaming himself for what had occured.

Leonard Dollery, 19, had repaid another man’s friendship by breaking into his shed overnight and stealing his bike which he rode from Winchester to Eastleigh before dumping it into the river.

However he maintained he had intended to return it but the following morning it had gone.

At his trial at Hampshire Assizes in 1908, the defence then suggested there was no case of theft to be put to the jury.

The judge, Mr Justice Channel, recommended he should put that to the panel, but minutes later, to everyone’s surprise, they found him guilty.

Expressing his shock, the judge said he would have directed them to acquit the labourer if he had known they would return a guilty verdict, confessing: “Perhaps I have treated this case too lightly and the jury have not understood what I meant. There is no evidence to find him guilty of a felony.”

The defence suggested he should call the labourer to give an explanation.

The judge consented and the teenager explained his landlord had locked the front door by the time he had returned home and could not think of anywhere else to put the bike, intending to return it the following morning.

Once more the jury retired, this time concluding he had taken the bike without the intention of making any money out of it.

The exasperated judge pointed out Dollery already had a bike and told them to again reconsider their finding over the half hour luncheon adjournment.

The jury returned a third time, now with verdict of guilty, and the judge instructed Dollery he had a right of appeal and in the circumstances would not sentence him.

Dollery duly signed the appeal form which the judge endorsed, granting him bail because of the time he had spent on remand.

However, the judge would not letthe matter rest, reiterating he should have withdrawn the case from them.

“That would have saved the trouble” he added.