Inspector Baird of the Newtown police caught Richard Powell at Newtown market and both Mary Jones and John Mountford made their statements. Mr Powell admitted selling the hens to John Mountford but claimed the hens were his own.

His statement reads:
"I sold the fowls to Mountford and they were my property".

Despite this, his case came before the Quarter Sessions and was taken very seriously indeed. He was found guilty and sentenced to three months in the County Gaol at Montgomery with hard labour. The hard labour would probably have been breaking rocks into smaller stones for use in road construction.
Even when he came out of prison Richard Powell's troubles would not have been over. As a convicted criminal he would find it very difficult to get a job or be trusted again. Victorian society was very unforgiving towards criminals.

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