the st helena council consultations, which are filled with the complaints and counter-claims of the islanders, contain a number of disputes in which gabriel powell senior features. amongst them are two very serious complaints in which he was accused of using excessive force. the first refers to a case in which he is said to have attacked a one-legged fisherman, thomas palmer. a witness, richard harding, claimed that powell struck palmer 'with a boat hook so that it broke and also threw a giant stone into the boat and hit the said palmer's wooden leg.' palmer had a poor record himself and powell only received a light fine.