SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 6 September 1909, Page 11

SUPREME COURT.

.'£" THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS. '■SHOPPING" ON THE QUAY AT NIGHT. Harry M'Qill, the young man who -was found 'guilty on Friday afternoon of receiving . 6tolohj goods, was brought beforo hi 3 Hon--onr.:'.;Mr. Justice Chapman on Saturday for sentence. Originally, ho was charged that, witlh .Herbert Pyko, ho broke and entered by night :tho shop of Sydney Droragool (the Do- : minion Clothing Company) in Lambton Quay, and'Btblo a number of articles of men's wear. . Earlier in tho'wock, Pykb was sentenced to two ..years' imprisonment, with hard labour. ■■'■ Mr; Wilford appeared for flho prisoner, tc- • garding whoso character ovidonco was given ; by.j.'Mcssrs, J, T. .London, and J. E. Fitz- •' gerald.;' ... ■■■'■: . ■: i Mr.::Myers i referred to a number of previoiVs'convictions. . His! Honour: inflicted a sentence of eigh- : teen months'.imprisonment with hard lab- .•' eiur.'.S.'-.... - '■'.. ■','.■;....

. af S ,PAYMENT,OF:A £40 FINE. -' On ybehalf , , of Sebastian r Nowson, who hadJbeon found'giiilty, a;: track previously of having sent an un3eaworthy ship (tho ketch Ro'jia),.to sea, and had been;fined £30 and £10,, costs, Mr. \Hcrdman niade an application for another week in whichcto,pay tho; week's time- had been allowed, and thej alternative fixedte.tho effect that' p'rifiorier'shquld bo imprisoned until it was paid, Tvith:"a limitation of six weeks. " ■;■. HissHohour consented to put off the en : forcement ■ of the alternative'order for a V.eok. '!■..' ■'"- , '\ '■■ ' ■"'-/". ■■': .V' GROUNDLESS CHARGE OF-CATTLE- . ;: 'STEALING..; ;.■ ' Richard Honry.Pratt was charged with the theft'of throe cowv.tho property of Richard Hail.;- ;•■■;; r '. ■■.-,..■■. .- : , . Mrl.Myers oonduoted tho prosecutiom and Mr.J.'Wilford appeared for. the accused, who .pleaded not'guilty.,, ■ •" , ■"", Richard ! Hall, cellarmari '.at ' Staplcs'a Brewery, stated, that ho let tho.Rosehill dairy farm ,(50, acres) at Ngahauranga to the accused ;in ! .February last. ■ Thero were twelve cows.'on tho property. Accused remained in possfes'sion until April .19, when ho left without>giving :anjr notice, and three cows wero foilml;to be missing. .Accused told him that throo'cows A : wore dead, and he agreed to accept;thcir.Value. [ : ■ ' ■ ■ , ' foj.Mr. ;\Vilford; Ho aeked accused to pay him _£15 for the cows. Ho instru6ted his solicitors .'to write claiming from the accused £s.for each cow. Ho would have been willing • to:; drop tho criminal' proceedings if'tho ■.value-of, the cows' had been forthcoming. If the'-a'cous«l had, paid, him £15, that would havevbeen'an end of .tho. case. It-.was true ■that '■tho polico 'had refused to sign tho information,'and hoi had _ taken • the responsiHo. had'been trying' to, got the.iinoney-from-tho accused 'for somo weeks before'-he signed tho information. When the money,, was not. paid,' ho consented to have the accused arrested on a criminal charge. After the hearing: of other '.cvidenco, Mr. Wilford asked if his!Horidor would express 'that,,-on tho .admissions -of tho chipf'.witness for,, the' prosecution, the jury wefV'entitied 'to say. that they wero satis-fied-ift-hat.' tho' : accused was not,'guilty of thieving;' ':-.'..■■;■ ■/:-.-■ ■ '•■■;,-•:: ;■.; .'■■•. ■ '-■■ - '; Hisj-Hohour said he would tell tho jury that./ Hall had treated the-matter as'a civil .domand, ) and ho.had .used the criminal law as 'a>leyer!.to get 'his rhoney claim satisfied. In ./order to conTict, the. jury . must agree thit'.Jaccused, was -guilty , of : positively ' div honest, conduct..;. ■ • ■ ;'" ■.'"'.. .-'-.'" Richanl Henry Trattj, milk-vendor, of: Molesworth Street, .. stated that !Hall had given him permission ■to weediout tho cowo, nnd.!arrange tho; stqgk t to,work tho Jjlnyo to the'-best given'Siulhonfy , to ,the cows "ho-sold-as he thought fit.'^v.v'-'r -■', ■: '*'■■ ■ .' ; '■ ■;-' .■ - -'. . Mr.', Wilford, addressed the jury for threo .miniit'es.'S and ,a_ verdict f of not' guilty was returned by'the jury,: after 'an.adjournment of; not'moro.thana; minute.' ■■'-'. . '. Tlje' accused was then discharged, and the Coiift.rose at 1 p.m. ''■■. : ■'■■ ~ :