Does the punishment fit the crime?

1 month imprisonment for assault, 2 months imprisonment for the uniform, 3 months imprisonment for obscene language - does seem a bit back to front!

The sentencing The Queenslander 24 March 1883 

City Police Court.

MONDAY, MARCH 19.

JOHN STARCH alias Bourke, was fined £5, or three months' imprisonment in default, for using obscene language; for assaulting Constable Galligan he was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, and for destroying that constable's uniform he was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labour. Thomas Bohen, alias Irish, was similarly dealt with for assaulting Constable Galligan, and destroying his uniform, and for rescuing the previous prisoner he was fined £5, or one month's imprisonment with hard labour. Peter Clark, charged with assaulting Constable Galligan and rescuing the prisoner Starch from him, was remanded till the following morning.

Tuesday, March 20. Peter Clarke, charged with having assaulted Constable Galligan, was discharged on the application of Senior-detective Anderson, who stated he had ascertained he was the wrong man.

And the Queenslander 31 March 1883 reports finding the right man

City Police Court.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

GEORGE Roots, a powerful-looking man, was charged with having, in conjunction with the prisoners Starch, alias Bourke, and Bohen. alias Irish, assaulted constable Galligan last Friday afternoon. Senior-detective Anderson prosecuted. The prisoner, on being asked to plead, said, "Well, I was in the company or the persons who committed the assault, but I did not strike the constable." Mounted-constable Beatty then gave evidence to the effect that he had arrested the prisoner on warrant, on Thursday morning, at Durun dur, twenty miles from Caboolture. He made no answer when the warrant was read to him. At this stage Roots was remanded till Tues day for the production of further evidence. Bail was allowed—the prisoner in £10 and one surety of £10.

I encourage you to check out Trove.  I have signed up & now I can tag any articles so I can easily find them again.  Some of the OCR (optical character recognition) produces some unusual results but it's very easy to make corrections and once done they stay there for all to enjoy.  So get searching.