SUPREME COURT.—Criminal Sittings.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 289, 13 December 1870, Page 2

SUPREME COURT. —Criminal Sittings.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12.

[Before Hia Honor Sir Gr. A. Avney, Knight,

Chief Justice.]

His Honor took his seat on the bench at ten o'clock.

AsgAtri/r AND Robbery.— Charles Harris was arraigned upon an indictment charging him with having, on the 7th November, 1870, at Wuikomiti, violently assaulted, one William Chambers, and stolen from his person a sum of £31, the property of tho said Wm. Chambers.—Prisoner pleaded not guilty.—A jury was enpanelled, of which Mr. Kobert Mavtin was chosen foreman. —Mr. Brookfield stated the case to the jury, and called the following witnesses: — William Chambers, who deposed to the robbery ; James Poppleton, proprietor of the Waikomiti Hotel, gave corroborative evidence ; Detective Ternahan deposed to the arrest of tlie prisoner.—The prisoner addressed the jury.—His Honor summed up. — The jury returned ii verdict of guilty.—Prisoner thun pleaded guilty to having been convicted of felony at the Supreme Court, Auckland, on the Ist of March, 1869. —His Honor, in passing sentence upon tho prisoner, reminded him that his previous offence was one of a similar nature —garrotting a man named Egan, in company with two confederates, for the purpose of robbing him, for whii h he was sentenced to two years' penal servitu to, accompanied with fogging. As ' there was no a tempt to choke in this case, ' Hia Honor would not inflict corporeal punishj ment, but would sentence him to be kept in I penal servitude for a period of three years.