SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 967, 7 November 1910, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

PRISONERS SENTENCED. THEFTS BY A MAORI YOTJTH. Three prisoners were sentenced by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Steut) on Saturday morning. Mr. T. Neavo appeared for the Crown. A Maori youth named Mita Harawira Rcnata, who had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering by day on two occasions the shop of William M'Kain at Mohaka, and stealing respectively £10 18s. Bd. and _19 13s. 9d., was again placed in the dock. This prisoner had been remanded from the previous Saturday when Mr. R. B. Williams, who appeared on his behalf, had asked for time to make iuquiries. Mr. Williams now explained that, owing to the remoteness of Mohaka, he had not been able to, obtain the information. After further consideration, lie would not, however, ask for further time. The youth had evidently .been much neglected in' his 'upbringing. Counsel asked that he be sent back to his people at Mohaka, and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, provision to be mado for. repayment of the stolen money. His Honour said he could not grant that request. The prisoner's people evidently looked upon him as a bad character, ..and if they ■ were led to think that such characters could go unpunished- the effect upon them would be bad. The prisoner could have got work, and tho Maori people, who were the kindest people it was possible to find would have seen that he did not want for food and lodging. He would sentence him to a short term of imprisonment, and that would be dealing leniently with him. Prisoner was sentenced to six months' hard labour. FORGING A TELEGRAM. ■ > The charge on. which Robert Ernest Powell came up for sentence was that on October 3, at Christchurch he sent a, telegram as by authority of R. Saunders, with intent to defraud Stephen Hart, of Wellington, and knowing that it was not sent by such authority. Powell and Saunders had both appeared in the dock last Saturday week, after pleading guilty to a joint charge of forgery and uttering, and Powell was then sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, while Saunders was placed on probation. His Honour said he would not increase the sentence imposed on tho previous Saturday. Ho warned the prisoner that if he persisted in tbe course ho had begun, it could only end in one way. Ho would be liable, after this, to an indefinite sentence and imprisonment for' a long term of years, present would be nine months' imprisonment with hard labour, to be concurrent with the present sentence. AN INDETERMINATE SENTENCE. Ernest Alfred Doreen, a young man who had pleaded guilty to stealing a saddle and bride at Ashhurst, was already serving a sentence of six months' imprisonment for stealing a dog. He was not represented by counsel. , His Honour, perusing a written statement by the prisoner, said that he. was asking not to bo treated as a habitual criminal, and pleading that ho had not had much education. He had 15 previous convictions. against him, beginning in the'year 1904. His Honour read tho list of these convictions, most of them being for theft, and several being followed by terms of imprisonment. Ho asked prisoner if he had any parents or friends. The prisoner, said he had, but to a further question he replied that he did not know"where they were. His Honour, continuing, said that the prisoner said he had given way to drink. It generally happened that those who gave' way to drink took to crime. His Honour asked whether the prisoner could bo taken to Invercargill. "How do they : stand there?" he asked. Mr. Millington '(gaoler): They are overcrowded just now. His Honour said he thought it would be best to give the prisoner an indeterminate sentence to see if. there can be any reformation made of him at New Plymouth. Ho sentenced him to six months' imprisonment and declared him a habitual criminal. He added that under the new law he could be released on probation, if he behaved himself there. The sentence would be concurrent with that which the prisoner was now serving. In ■ reply to his Honour 'Mt. Ncave said,he understood the new law referred to was not yet finally, passed.