SENTENCES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 15

SENTENCES.

A MAN WHO DUPED A JEWELLER. PROBATION ABUSED. • On July 1, John Lennox entered the shop of W. Littlejohn and Sons, jewellers, and made representations to tlio salesman tlint lio and a fow friends purposed making a Masonic presentation. On account of their representations lio was allowed to take away a gold chain valued at £1G 155., on the explicit understanding that either the article was to ho returned next day, or that it was to bo paid for. He, ho«cvor, pawned the chain, and was subsequently arrested. In tho Magistrate's Court 011 July 6 ho pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining tho chain by false pretences. Yesterday, in tho Supremo Court, ho was set forward for sentence. The offence had bceii committed while Lennox was at large oil probation. Lennox was represented yesterday by tho Hon. T. W. llislop, who stated tliat prisoner's family had, prior to tho occurrence,- advanced'him a few puuiuls to purchase a passage to Fiji. Unfortunately lio was addicted to drink, and having mot with some friends, was treated by them', and while under tho influenco of liquor, lio committed the offence. Counsel suggested that under the circumstances, and especially seeing that tho prisoner was about to leave the Dominion, lie might lis again admitted to probation; His Honour (the Chief Justice) replied that that would bo impossible, as tho man was a habitual criminal. If a judge were to stretch a point and .let' him out, there would be no use in having such a statute at all. "I cannot overlook this offence," ho added, "hut I shall not punish him for his past crimes, other than by sending him back to a reformatory. Otherwise, tho whole Act would break down. Mr. Hislop suggested that prisoner should bo allowed to leave for Fiji by tho next steamer. His Honour: I don't know whether they would allow that. Wo should resent it very niucli. Mr. Ostler (appearing for the Crown) said tho prisoner had pawned tho chain for £8, and had thon. . purchased a watch for £2 from a pawnbroker named Sherwood. The latter was willing to take back the watch,' which was still ill the possession of tho. prisoner.' •'His. Honour said the prisoner's conduct was unfair to other pcoplo allowed out oil probation, because it was liable to niako judges think that probationwas- of no use. Tho judge who had dealt with him on the last occasion, though not convinced that ho had reformed) had deemed it wise to give him an opportunity to reform outside tho prison gates, but the prisoner had not been out of gaol a month before lie fell back into tho way of life-lie had been following for fourteen years. He must now he sent to prison, and then ,to a reformatory. Prisoner was sentenced to oiglitcen months' hard labour, and ordered to bo afterwards sent back to tho reformatory at .New Plymouth. His Honour, also ordered that tho watch should bo restored to tho pawnbroker, who would restore' tho chain to its owner on receipt of tho £8 lent by bint-upon it.- , THEFT BY A BLUEJACKET. Samucl,Fahcy Dunning, aged 35, who 1 came - up' for sentence on a charge of theft, sta!ted that lie was sorry for what he had done, and added that 'ho badhad a good discharge, from tho; Navy. ~~ liis Honour: That is all the greater, disgrace for-you. In pronouncing judgment; lii's Honour said that prisoner had been twico convicted of drunkenness, and, he understood, had also been convicted of theft in England. . His latest criminal act was theft from a dwelling-houso, and this was looked upon by tho law as a serious offence. A light sentence would, however, l?c inflicted, and his Honour lipped that tho prisoner would not trouble tho Court again. Prisoner, , was .sentenced to four months' imprisonment with- hard labour.