BANKRUPTCY CASE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 49, 21 November 1907, Page 8

BANKRUPTCY CASE.

.SENTENCE 01' SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. [by telegraph.—press association.] Auckland, November 20. In'the .Supreme Court this morning Alexander Patterson was brought up for sentence on the charge of .breach of the Bankruptcy Act, of which he was found guilty yesterday. Mr. Justice Denniston said he would treat accused as a mail personally honest, but •" as a trader," said, his .Honour, addressing Patterson, " your conduct has been reckless in the o.xtrenle. You must have known at the timo you entered into possession of this large quantity of goods in your last year's trading, that you' were absolutely in the hands of your creditors and' carrying on only by their grace. You never at any time took steps to really kuow your, position. It is impossible to doubt, to my inind, that the reason was that you could not venture to do so. I .believe that your not keeping books was simplv a very.. natural. desire to shirk realising your position. It seems to 1110 that you preferred to plunge ■ for that year, •;with the result that we have heard. I'must do my" duty, and sentence you to a term of imprisonment. Following precedent, I sentericfi you to a term of six months, but, in' view of. the fact that you have not been guilty • of- personal fraud, I shall not inflict hard labour." Mr. Ilced asked that the prisoner bo treated as. a first-class misdemeanant, which indulgence his Honour granted, adding that he wanted to give prisoner every,indulgence insistent with his views. , Regarding the issues on which tlfe jury failed to agrcf, Air. Tole, K.C., Crown Prosecutor, announced his intention .of applying to the Attorney-General for a nolle prosequi.