The Observer and West Sussex Recorder - Wednesday 18 October 1933- Found on the British Newspaper Archive website

The case is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, October 18, 1933. The Portsmouth Evening News, along with the Observer and West Sussex Recorder, has released a detailed article outlining the latest updates regarding this court case in Chichester, offering significantly more comprehensive insights into the events that unfolded (I couldn't display the entire page as it exceeds the available space, resulting in very small text). The article mentions that the case is being presided over by Mr W. H. B. Fletcher (in the chair), Mr J. A. Greenwood, and Mr A. Seymour. Furthermore, it was noted that in addition to Mr John Flowers K.C., Mr H. E. Browne is also representing the prosecution. The first witness called to testify was the veterinary surgeon, Rupert Watts, who had been a client of the Billy Butlin zoo in Bognor Regis. Mr Rupert Watts confirmed that he was asked to attend the Butlins Bognor Regis zoo on the 6th July 1933 at 9:45 am. Having arrived at 11 am, he was asked to check the lion that had been recaptured and on arrival, he could see that the Lion was in good condition. 

Mr Bray then began to question other witnesses, Mrs H McDonald, who informed the court that her daughter was afraid to cycle to work due to concerns about a loose lion. When asked how she became aware of this situation, Mrs McDonald explained that her daughter worked at a newsagent's, which is how she learned about the news. The next witness was Mr J Apps, who was a builder in Pagham in 1933. He confirmed that he was cautious about the possibility of the lion being in the area. Mr Apps told the court that he is a recognised coastguard and observed that some people were on the beach treating the day as if it were normal, while others remained in their bungalows. Mr Bray aimed to demonstrate that life in the area was nearly as normal as possible, suggesting that reports of people being terrified might be exaggerated in the newspapers. The witness had told the court that there were quite a lot of people treating the day as normal, but fewer than they should have been. 

The court's focus would now turn to the police, where P.C. Dunkeley from the Littlehampton police station confirmed that no report of the missing lion was made on the 4th, 5th, and 9th of July 1933 by Billy Butlin or on his behalf. However, when questioned by Mr Flowers, the P.C. explained that there were seven other officers on duty with Inspector Stripp as the officer in charge. He stated that if there had been any report regarding the missing lion, he would have been notified, and he confirmed that nothing was reported to him.

Mr Bray subsequently addressed the jury, engaging with them for fifty-two minutes to clarify that this was a unique case involving Mr Butlin. He delved deeper into the legal aspects and urged the court to consider the evidence presented. Mr Bray recognised that the police had been pulled from their usual responsibilities to investigate an unnecessary issue, which led to public disorder and panic. Nonetheless, he pointed out, "that when persons are charged with conspiracy it is absolutely essential that the laws of evidence should be very, very strictly regarded, because in the case of conspiracy, where you can give evidence which is evidence against one conspirator, because it is conspiracy, it would not be evidence against the other conspirators but might be so if it was individual charge". These were his statements made in court on that day.

During his address to the Jury, Mr Bray conveyed, "If there is no common agreement, there is no conspiracy." Throughout the case, he attentively listened to evidence that suggested an agreement on where to meet, when to convene, and what their shared goals were. He asserted that without any discussion on this topic, it could not be classified as a conspiracy, as it requires at least two individuals to have a mutual agreement. Mr Bray asked the jury, "When was there, and when is there any evidence of common agreement as far as Mr Butlin is concerned?"  The jury was informed that there were no specific directives from Billy Butlin to lie to the press, nor was there any evidence of criminal intent or wrongdoing on his part. Additionally, it was highlighted in court that Mr Butlin had never reported anything to the police or initiated police action. Evidence indicated that no police officer was called to Mr Butlin, but they did visit Mr Joste and others.

Mr Bray points out that this case is surrounded by media coverage, which he claims he has no issue with; however, they do aim to publish stories that can attract customers. On the other hand, Mr Bray tells the court that Mr Butlin never stated those words in print and that he had no knowledge that anything he would say could result in his presence in court later on. When inquiries were made regarding the lion's whereabouts, a miscommunication between Mr Butlin and his secretary led to the escalation of this issue to the level mentioned above. Further details emerged when Billy Butlin was asked, "What is the lion worth?" He replied, "If I get that lion back, it is worth £50 to me." Mr Bray was fair in highlighting to the jury that Billy Butlin was also seeking publicity from this story, which was not a wise move.

Mr Burrows
Billy Butlin stated that he operates in 23 different towns and employs approximately 2000 staff members during the summer season. His Butlins brand has its own publicity department, overseen by Mr. Burrows. Mr. Burrows was not contacted regarding the use of Rex for publicity and instructed the Lion to return to Skegness after the public announcement was made. Billy Butlin informed the court of his intention to open a zoo at his Bognor Regis park on July 6, 1933. Mr. Joste, the manager of the games park, had no involvement or authority over the zoo area that was proposed for the park. Bognor Regis was not the sole location where he intended to feature animals, as his plans also included sites in Felixstowe and London.
Source for above: The Observer and West Sussex Recorder

Ernest Newscome 
As the case continued after the interval, Mr Ernest Newscome, a member of the Butlins staff and secretary to Billy Butlin in 1933, became a key witness. On July 3, 1933, he was at the Butlins head office (Skegness in 1933), arranging for the animals to be transported to the new Butlins Bognor Regis zoo for their arrival on July 4. Mr Newscome explained that he had organised two lorries for this important transfer and personally witnessed everything until they departed. While the lorries were en route, Mr Ernest continued with his work and informed Billy Butlin that the animals were on their way. At 7 PM on July 4, he received a call from Billy Butlin asking if Rex had been loaded onto the van for transport. Mr Ernest Newscome testified that Rex was indeed loaded onto the lorry and should have been included in one of the two vehicles.

On July 5, Mr Ernest saw a report about the escaped lion in the news chronicle at 3 PM and began to wonder if he had actually seen Rex being loaded. To confirm the details, Mr Ernest Newscome made inquiries and learned that Rex was still in Skegness. He immediately reached out to the Butlins Bognor Regis zoo to provide updates, but he did not inform Billy Butlin directly and spoke to Bertha Butlin, Billy Butlin mother. He later notified the court that the empty cage on the lorry was intended to be dev London, which was a common practice for transporting empty cages. However, there may have been some confusion, leading to the assumption that this empty cage could have housed Rex, and with it being empty, it was presumed that he had escaped.

Clifford Stanley Joste
Mr Joste would now take the witness stand and inform the court that the amusement park at Butlins Bognor Regis had been in operation for four years and that a zoo was set to open in the summer. However, he clarified that he did not manage the zoo, only the amusement park. He was aware of the animals being transported and had heard from two out of three people about a Butlins lion that had escaped. He received a phone call from an unidentified individual who notified him that the lion had been sighted in the vicinity of Clymping. Mr Joste had then informed Billy Butlin, who directed him to report to the police but advised him not to alarm them, as there was someone present who could handle the animal and that a search would start immediately. 

Before entering the police station, Mr Proctor, the journalist, had observed him outside, but at that moment, Mr Joste had no idea who he was. While reporting the lost lion to Inspector Couzens, he detailed the phone call and message that Billy Butlin had conveyed to him. The inspector inquired, "Is that the same one that consumed the tomatoes in the greenhouse at Craigwell?" to which he replied, "No, we do not let our animals out." Shortly thereafter, the News Chronicle questioned him about the missing lion, to which he responded, "You would be better off asking Mr Butlin." On 5th July, Inspector Couzens encountered a significant number of reporters inquiring about the escaped lion. When asked in court if he was a part of a team that was developing a plan to mislead the public with the lion escaping, Mr Joste would deny having agreed with Mr Proctor to create any false reports and stated that he had never seen Mr Wensley until the first day of court.

Billy Butlin
Interestingly, during the continuation of the cross-examination, it was acknowledged that the news chronicle's report regarding the lion being captured at night was incorrect and false. He clarified that Mr Butlin had requested that the reports and police be notified once Rex arrived at the Bognor Regis zoo. It was believed that the local residents would prefer to see the lion in the zoo and any claims without evidence would not be listened to. The representative for Billy Butlin and Mr Joste informed the court that the prosecution had failed to establish any case against them, deeming it a waste of public funds due to the lack of evidence supporting the allegations against the two. Mr Bray emphasised that there was no evidence to substantiate the claim that both Mr Billy Butlin and Mr. Clifford Joste had not formed a connection with the other two individuals to conspire in this falsehood and the alleged offences.

During the cross-examination, Mr Proctor acknowledged that he had spoken with Billy Butlin in an attempt to gather more information regarding a rumour about a missing lion. While Billy Butlin did not dispute the existence of a missing lion, he mentioned that there were some animals en route. He informed the young reporter that he preferred no reports to be made until he had definitively learned more about the lion's whereabouts. Following a phone call with Mr Ernest, Billy Butlin indicated that there was a possibility that the lion on the loose belonged to him and that he would offer £50 for any information leading to its recovery. It was revealed that his father had submitted the story, and that much of it was not authored by Mr Proctor. Mr Flowers had then asked this question to Billy Butlin "You saw the report in the News Chronicle on the morning of July 5th. Do you agree with your counsel's observation that you attached publicity to it?" Billy responded with a firm "No, it was not the kind of publicity I wanted". 
Source for above writing: The Portsmouth Evening News

Mr. Flowers then proceeded to exert further pressure on Billy Butlin by accusing him of attempting to shift all the blame onto his manager, Mr Joste. It was insinuated that Mr Butlin was trying to pass the responsibility for the incident onto his staff, thus placing himself in a favourable position. This also involved contacting the police, where Mr Flowers would question why Billy Butlin had not reported these matters to the police on his own. However, Billy Butlin would confidently counter that the statement was incorrect. It was at this juncture that the conversation turned to the question.

Mr Flowers: "Yet you and your men went over to Wensley's farm the following day?" 
Billy Butlin: "In reply to the telephone message"
Mr Flowers: "When you saw the sheep, did you say it looks like a lion's work?"
Billy Butlin: "No"
Mr Flowers: "Who is responsible for this part of the alleged conspiracy?"
Billy Butlin: "I should think Mr Proctor would arrange that"
Mr Flowers: "So you are putting the blame on Mr Proctor?" 
Billy Butlin: "No". 

The inquiry at this point must have been rigorous, as Mr. Flowers continued to press Billy Butlin on why he never reported this matter to the authorities and the discussion he had with the individual referred to as Mr Begg. The information further reveals that Billy Butlin faced considerable questioning about the evolving situation and the lies that were told, but he consistently provided answers. The most aggravating moment, which even caused me some annoyance, was when Mr. Flowers remarked, "I say that first, you don't care what happens to Mr Joste, secondly you don't care what happens to Mr Proctor, thirdly you don't care what happens to Mr Whensley and fourthly you don't care what happens to the public" which I find to be a remarkable reply. Billy Butlin was questioned for two and a half hours about his role in the narrative, including the dead sheep that were found. "I suggest you are wrong," which I believe to be a fantastic response. Billy Butlin was questioned for two and half hours about his involemtn in the story, including the dead sheep discovered. 
Source for the above writing: The Observer and West Sussex Recorder

The court proceedings revealed more details, as it was disclosed that a payment was made to Mr Wensley to fabricate an attack by the lion on the sheep. This payment included 30 shillings to the farmer and 5 shillings to the shepherd. Mr. Flowers continued to press on this matter until it was established that Mr Proctor had suggested the farmer contact Billy Butlin about the sheep, in order to create the illusion that the lion was actively hunting in the vicinity. In an unexpected admission, he acknowledged that the sheep was staged to mislead Billy Butlin, although he could not remember informing Wensley about the planned deception.

This court case and the story surrounding Rex the lion took a very interesting turn as it became evident that Billy Butlin had been caught in a difficult situation, attempting to leverage publicity to benefit his zoo, only to discover that it had backfired. It was fascinating to read in the newspaper about the miscommunication from the team in the lorries, the uncertainty expressed by Mr Ernest, and the erroneous report to the newspaper, all of which contributed to this unique event unfolding over a two-day period but lasting a year in the press.
Source for the above writing: The Portsmouth Evening News