PRISON SENTENCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 25, 6 March 1942, Page 5

PRISON SENTENCE

MILITARY DEFAULTERS' STAND* REFUSAL TO OBEY ORDER Failure to promptly obey an ord-» er, lo the satisfaction of the camp supervisor, as performance of their work at tlie Strathmore 'defaulters' detention camp on March 2, resulted in three men facing Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court this week. Each were t convicted and sentenced to two months' imprisonment. John Burns Crichton and Douglas Bond both pleaded guilty to the charge made; William Peter B1 ayden Gamlcn declining to plead and therefore being regarded as a defendant. The men concerned, stated Detective Sergeant A. J. White, had been members of a works party called upon to clean an area five feet wide ouls.'de the enclosure. This was designed as a lire-break. They had. refused to comply with instructions. Evidence called to prove how the accused had refused to work on this particular job was tendered by the assistant overseer, Mr C. E. Medhurst, the works overseer, Mr F. D. Baker, and the camp supervisor, Mr J. A. Duffy. The last-named stated that he did not believe in "building his own gaol." Detective Segeant White pointed out that there were some defaulters. Avho wished to run the catnp and do what they wanted to do. Crichton, he added, was definitely a subversive influence in the camp. A letter was written by this accused, produced by the detectivesergeant. which lie, read in Court io substantiate his claim. It revealed that Crichton was not prepared to offer any co-operation whatsoever in the war effort. The other two accused, continued the police officer, had not previously given any trouble but there had been "a .gradual simmering up to the position." The attitude taken by the accused had been clearly subversive and the camp authorities were merely asking for punishment to secure the correct discipline.