The sentence pronounced by the Isle of Man Magistrate came as a shock to Michael Lewis. It was far worse than he was expecting. Six strokes of the birch! True his Solicitor had said that a birching sentence was possible for the crime which Michael had pleaded guilty, assault causing actual bodily harm, but in the view of the Solicitor, birching was unlikely as Michael had pleaded guilty, the circumstances of the case, and the fact that he had never been in trouble with the law before. Michael now wished he could put the clock back 48 hours. Two days earlier he had been an ordinary 18 year old lad from the Lancashire town of Leigh, enjoying a week's holiday in the Isle of Man. Michael had just finished his "A" level exams, and was looking forward to starting at Exeter University the following autumn. He had been looking forward to the holiday - the first he had spent on his own. Michael had chosen the Isle of Man because 5 years earlier, the whole family had spent a holiday there. It was be the last holiday they had spent together. Six weeks after returning, Michael's father had died. The holiday was, in Michael's mind, an attempt to close an old chapter of his life, before opening another. All had gone well until he had gone to a dance with a few of the lads who were at the same Youth Hostel where Michael was staying. He had enjoyed the evening, but when he had left the dancehall, he had followed a girl he had been "chatting up" during the evening. Suddenly, in a moment of madness, he had crept up behing the girl, grabbed her by the waist, lifted her up, and shouted, "guess who." In retrospect Michael realised it was a stupid thing to do, particularly at the "attack" took place in a narrow and dimly lit alleyway. Even so, he was shocked by the reaction. The girl screamed, and fell down, badly spraining her wrist.
The next day, the Police had called at the Hostel, and taken Michael away for questioning. It transpired the girl was the daughter of a prominent businessman, and he was pressing for Michael to be charged with attempted rape. Under hostile questioning, something to which Michael was not used, he agreed, after consulting the Duty Solicitor, to plead guilty to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.
"I was not expecting to be birched," said Michael to his Solicitor after the trial. "Can't I apppeal or something?"
"Yes you can appeal, but it is probably not worth while. I must admit I was surprised by the birching sentence, but the Magistrate was within his rights to impose the sentence in view of the nature of the crime. If you appeal, you will probably be released on bail, and you will have to return for the case at your own expense and in your own time. I understand you are off to University in a couple of months. Do you want this hanging over you for the next few weeks? At the end of the day, is is likely that you will still be birched. You would be better off to get it over and done with straight away, then you can go home and prepare for the rest of your life. The birch is not too bad. I expect like me you were caned at school. It was painful at first, but quickly over and done with."
Michael felt the Solicitor talked sense, and agreed to be birched later in the day. Arrangements were then made for him to attend the Police Station. When Michael arrived at the Police Station at the appointed time, he was pleasantly surprised that the Officers did not appeared to be quite friendly. In fact thay seemed to want to be helpful. Michael was taken to a room, where he was examined by the duty Police Surgeon. To his dismay, the Doctor was a woman! However, Michael did not feel either able or willing to express any objections. Consequently, when orderd, he stripped to his underpants, and submitted to the examination. After being found fit to take his punishment, Michael was then taken to a cell, where the birching was to take place. When he entered the cell, Michael felt as if he had stepped back to the middle ages! In the centre of the room was a heavy table, five Police Officers were present, as was the lady doctor. One of the Officers was holding the birch. It looked a ferocious instrument, three thick birch rods, about 40 inches long, tied together.
"Go and stand at the table, and lower your jeans," ordered one of the Officers. Michael moved over to the table, and indid his belt and zip fly. As he started to lower his jeans, a Policeman, standing behind pulled Michael's jeans right down to his ankles. Two more Policemen held his wrists, and pulled him over the table. As Michael was being bent over, he felt somebody grab hold of the elastic of his underpants, and pull them down to his ankles.
"Thank goodness I put on a clean pair of pants this morning!" thought Michael.
Michael felt his shirt tails being raised, and realised that his bare backside was now on full view to everbody. He did not know wheter he felt humiliated or scared. Probably both. "I am glad my mother is not here to see me now," he thought.
"Are you ready?" said one of the Officers.
"Yes," replied Michael.
"Just try and relax, and you will not feel the pain so badly," said the Officer kindly.
After a few seconds, Michael heard a sound like "swish", then another sound like a loud crack, as the birch struck his exposed buttocks. For a few seconds he felt nothing, then a searing pain as the three birch rods appeared to cut into the flesh at the top of his bottom.
"YEEEEOW!" shouted Michael, as somebody shouted "one!"
After a short while the pain started to ease, then the second stroke landed, just below the first one.
"YEEEEEEOW!" shouted Michael again as somebody called "two!"
The third stroke struck right across the middle of Michael's naked buttocks, and if anything the pain was even worse. "This is far worse than the cane, and much worse than I was expecting. Surely the Doctor will stop it soon." No such luck!. The fourth stroke landed at the lower half of Michael's buttocks, and by now he felt the tears starting to form. After stroke five, he was sure he felt blood starting to trickle down his legs. Stroke _s_e_x_ landed at the base of his buttocks, just above the top of the legs. If anything that stroke was the most painful of the lot. However it was all over.
Michael was helped up. He felt faint and sick. He was half dragged and half carried to a couch, where he was laid on, face down. The Doctor then treated Micheal's wounded buttocks, rubbing some ointment into the weals. After about half an hour, Michael was allowed to go, but advised not to try and sit down for some while.
"No chance," he thought. "Even if I wanted to, I could not sit down at the moment!"
When Michael arrived home, he was relieved that the meeting with his mother was not as bad as he had feared. He had phoned home the previous day and told her the story. Of course she was annoyed with Michael for being so stupid, but felt the punishment was over he top. Secretly, she was rather pleased that the incident had not taken place when Michael was at university. It could have resulted in his being expelled, which would have had serious long term consequences.
The final hurdle Michael had to jump was the meeting with his 21 year old brother John. As they were preparing for bed in the bedroom they both shared, John said, "well, what has my little brother been up to then? Tell big brother all about it."
Michael told the whold story, including all the gory details. When he had finished, John said, "Come on then Mike, bare your bottom and let me see the marks."
Michael lowered his jeans and pants, lifted up his shirt tail, and waited for John's reaction. Usually when John saw Michael's bare bottom, he said something like, "full moon tonight, then." It was a remark which oftern irritated Micheal, but he could do nothing about it.
When John said nothing, Michael finally asked, "is it a full moon then John?"
"Don't know about a full moon, but there have been a number of lunar landings recently!" was the reply.