The highest fine to date - £5 with 5 shillings special costs - was imposed at Luton Divisional Sessions on Monday, April 10th, 1916, in what chairman George Oakley described as "the most serious case we have had" in relation to lighting regulation offences.

Stacey Dorrington Adams, of Beechwood Road, Leagrave, was summoned for a breach of the Lighting Order on the night of March 31st. On that night, Supt Panter had received a Field Marshal's order at 8.40 to take air raid precautions. Special constables and policemen all round the division were instructed to see that all lights were extinguished. Orders to resume normal conditions were not received until three o'clock the next morning.

Special Constable Ernest Fensome was among those who undertook the duty of ordering people to put their lights out at Leagrave, and the defendant's house was one at which he called. This was about quarter to ten, and the lights were put out. But at ten minutes past ten a light was seen shining from the living room of the house.

PC Howe, who was with the special constable, shouted to the occupants to put the light out, and a boy who was standing outside the house rushed indoors and extinguished it. At quarter to 12 a light was again seen in Beechwood Road from some distance away, and this was found to come from the front bedroom of the same house. When the special constable went to the house and knocked at the door, the light was put out at once.

Defendant pleaded "guilty without guilty knowledge," saying that he presumed he was morally responsible, but he knew nothing about the matter until the summons was served on him. He was not there when the special constable called at the house the first time, but he was at home at 10.10 and put the light out as soon as he was told about it.

The light seen later came from a bedroom occupied by two girl munition workers who had gone to bed but, becoming frightened, got up again and lit the gas.

Mr Oakley told defendant it was the most serious case there had been before the Bench, because it was of the utmost importance that there should be absolute darkness, as far as possible, when an air raid was taking place. The defendant was allowed a fortnight for payment.

[The Luton Reporter: Monday, April 17th, 1916]