MAORI MAKES REMARKABLE STATEMENT TO COURT

Chronicle (Levin), 2 August 1947, Page 6

MAORI MAKES REMARKABLE STATEMENT TO COURT

-Press Assocvation

By Telegraph

AUCKLAND, August l. A remarkable vvritten stateuient in oxtenuntiou of his oll'ences was given lo .Mr. Justice Biair by James Turin iii'ivvi ini, a fuil-blooded JMaori, agod g-l , who appeared for sentence 011 two f'mrges of breaking, entering and thei'i and Jive of tlieft. Iie had been re manded by his Ilonour the preyious lay to eiiable hiui to giye his written explanatiou of his offenees. iicrewim indicated that he had ret oiitiy been a theological student al St. .iuhn'.s College, in the statemeul y.iiic-h liis 'ilonour read out. Herewini said liis iirst ollence of taking a smali v.allet containiiig 17, was committed when he had become very depressed when the results of the preliminarv examinations in theology were published. iiis name was omitted from among those who luul passed and he assumed lie had failed. "This so preyed upun my mind that I seenied to iose heart." ilerewini continued, "and 1 t'oolishly begau drinking heavily and consorting with evii companions. " Later, he said, Bisliop Binkin assured him personallv he had passed and that the omission of his name was a clerical error. Iie could not oll'er auy extenuatiou for his eoiuluct. He submitted that he was very highly strung. ''1 am almost fanatically eager to make a success of my chosen calling, ' he said, "and when 1 thought l had failed I Went through a mental strain that was bitter and hopeless." liis Ilonour said he feared he would have to adjourn the case still further to enable further inquiries to be made. If the statement were true it woulii require to be takou into consideiation Imt if it were not true it would go hard with Herewini. His Honor directed Hr. (-lea.1. fc.0 clieck up 011 the story and said if it were true it niight Iie necessarv to have a gsychiatist 's report. He postponed sentence uutil next Thursday.