LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 806, 2 May 1910, Page 9

LAW REPORTS.

SUPREME COURT. FOUR PRISONERS SENTENCED. mokraki robbery, v The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) fhad before him four prisoners for sen'tonco on Saturday morning;. Having pleaded guilty to a charge foi stealing £120: worth of jewellery, ;money, a dressing-case, and other articles belonging to a lady passenger, . Miss Ethel Miles, on the steamer Moe|taki,' Joseph Walker, a seaman, came 'tip for sentence. Me. H. F. O'Leary appeared on •prisoner's behalf, and said that his record was a good one. Mr. Myers (for tho Crown): We : can't say that. All we can say is that live know nothing against him. • Mr. O'Leary said that Walker hadbeen working oil intercolonial steamers for the past three and & half years.. Ho had- been chosen as the delegate to represent his ship.on the union. The offence, counsel was instructed, had been committed on the spur of th 6 moment, and, when it was found out, •Walker gave the detectives every assistance to recover the stolen property. Mr. Myers pointed out that it was not until the search had been going on for about four hours that Walker gave any information to the. police. The prown Prosecutor also remarked that these offences were common, and had happened previously on, the same ship.- They were thefts which were very difficult Jo: detect. His . Honour said that the offence ■was a serious one, and, even in view of the fact that Walker had apparently nothing against him in tho past, he could not be granted probation, now. His Honour was inclined to think, looking at the facts, that some other members' of the crew must have been aware that the property had been stolen. He recollected having had to sentence a man for broaching cargo some years ago,, and'he looked upon all such offences as very serious. They wero very difficult to'detect; In the present instance, property had been stolen from a lady whose jieojjle were sufficiently well off to give her more jewellery and more money. But the theft might have been committed in tho case of a poor woman, whoso whole trip might have had to bo abandoned. "Passengers are like guests on board ehip," said tho Chief Justice. "They expect to be treated properly* and not 1 have their goods stolen. I must sentence you to a 'term of imprisonment, . and I hope that when you have , served it,' you will resolve never to gk into trouble again. The sentence of the Court is that you- be imprisoned' for nine, months, with hard labour,; in Wellington, Gaol."- - . .'

i V ■■ ' A -KNIFE IN THE CELLS. James Stevens ( an elderly man, having pleaded guilty .to a charge of wounding With intent,'before the magistrate at Dannevirke, told his" Honour that "this would hot have hsjipfihed. j ir I had been searched." • He-pointed.' out that the offence-was committed in tho cells, and ho was not awaro of what ho was doing with tho knifo. His Honour said that' the jn-isbnei had boen convicted for tlio first itimo CJ years ago, and ho had now 29 convictions against- him—arson, drunkenBess, resisting tlio police, house-broak-ing, and other offences. There was power to imprison him for life for an offence such as this,'which was looked upon as a' serious' <Hio all ottsr thoWorld. Tho prisoner's record made it nossiblo for him to bo deemed an habitual criminal, but, inasmuch as tlio wound inflicted, had hoi 'been of a serious nature, tho sentence of tlio Court would bo two years' imprisonment, with hard labour, in Wellington Gaol. AFTER AN HONEST CAREER. James Edward Bowker, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering and theft, in the Wellington Magistrate's Court, wftß represented by Mr. P. J. O'Regan, "Ho has lived a great many years in tho city," said Sir. O'Regan, "has always led nil honest life, and.has never previously been before a Court of Justice. All tho property has been recovered." \ His Honour said that apparently Bdwker had on several occasions given way to drink, but this appeared to bo hifc first lapse. Tlio burglaries had boon committed both on tho samo night, in two adjoining houses. Ho would therefore bo admitted to probation for fcwclvo months, AN ADDITIONAL SENTENCE. A young man, Henry Charlos Adolphus Williamson,. came Up for sentence apon tw9 charges of theft, which ho I had admitted beforo tho magistrate at Stratford. His Honour said that tlio offence had been committed two years ago. Prisonor would probably , not havo suffered severely for this, had ho behaved iumself subsequently) but ho had since cot into trouble at Hampden, at Chnstcfjurch, and at other places, and was now serving a sentonoo for false pretence's. For this offenco ho would •bo sentenced tq a term of threo months' ' imprisonment, to tak-o effect after tho i present sentence had been served. I s S°mg to end?" asked /!• ij Justico. _ "You aro behaving foolishly, having been convicted six times. Do you want to bo always in gaol? I have mado the seiit<mco light, because you are a young man aiS I fcopo thero is some chance of reformation in your case."