SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 909, 31 August 1910, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

A VERY OLD EXCUSE. /_ A weedy-looking young fellow named Thomas Finnorty, who had- pfcadod guilty in the Lower Court to breaking and entering the; premises of Mr. Frank ■Grady, jeweller, Willis Street, and stealing therefrom a. quantity of jewellery, was put forward for sentence before Mr. Justice Chapman yesterday. Asked if he had anything to say in mitigation, prisoner told the Bench that he "was very sorry for what lie had done, and that it was the first conviction lie had ever had against him for anything of u dishonest nature. ' Ho had given way to intemperance a lot, and some-, times in these fits lie had been temporarily insane, and not, responsible for his actions. He had travelled all over the world ,'ts a ship's steward —a pursuit in which the opportunities for dishonesty'were always at hand— but had. never before stolen .anything. For twelve years he had been a steward on different companies' steamers, and had spent five years 011 one of the big lines trading between Southampton and South Africa. ' , • Sir. Neave (of the Crown Law Omt») stated that the 'prisoner had landed in New Zealand in March, 1908, .and, since then, had been convicted four times for drunkenness, and once for 'damage- to a window. He had been employed m Wellington as a hotel porter. This w;as his first appearance for any serious crime or offence involving dishonesty, ' His Honour said he would not deal with the prisoner just then, but would take time to consider the ..'ease for a few days. Prisoner should bo brought before him on Friday morning at 10 o'clock. The Court adjourned until this morning.