RUSSIAN SENTENCED.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18407, 13 June 1925, Page 17

RUSSIAN SENTENCED.

>_—* ■ . BROKE CHURCH WINDOW. (PEESS ASSOCIATION . TELEO3AM.I AUCKLAND; June V2. Zachar Shostack, a Russian, came up for sentence fit the Police Court todaj- on a charge of wilfully damaging a window, valued at £ 10, the property of St. Paul's Church trustees, and also on a further charge of assaulting Con-! stable Callaghan. Constable Roberts " said accused called at the Police. Station one morning recently and confessed to breaking .a, window in St. Paul's Chlircli. In a statement Shostack said he was seeking revenge on the Catholic Church, but he made a mistake and broke a window in the wrong church. He said ho wanted to show that liis body was alive and that it was not a 'mere spirit. . The Magistrate (Mr Poynton): This man has ,strong homicidal tendencies. He might biow up a church. He will have to be placed under restraint for the safety of the public, Scnior-Scrgcaut • Edwards', said en

cjuirios had been.made in an endeavour'; to have Shostack deported, but to : the fact- ihat lie had been in ;the' country for three yeai'S'nothing co.iiJd he done. Accused had been sent back', to England on his ..way. to Russia, but was not allowed to land,' and it was. difficult to get a shipping company to take him away. .. .Mr . Poynton: The whole thing is absurd. Vie do not want him here. In broken English Shostack said he. wanted to go back to England, where he would be with some' of his own people. ,' ■ . • ; . "I'll be a better man when I get back," lie said. ' Concerning the charge of assault, Constable Callaghan stated that on the last occasion- when Shostack was before the Court witness was escorting him to the police van when Shostack struck him, .and afterwards,- when witness closed .with him, accused bit wit-' ness's finger so .badly that lie had to receive medical attention. Shostack -then' made vicious attempts v to ■ kick witness.

Mr Poynton: This mail is-a menace to -tlie community, and will have, to be put away for as long as possible.-' He wiU. be sentenced to three years' reformative detention.