SUPREME COURT SESSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1206, 15 August 1911, Page 2

SUPREME COURT SESSIONS.

(By Teletraph—Press Association.) Auckland, Auguit 14. A petition for divorce lodged by Thomas Cargill, chief engineer on the Paloonai against Mary Jano Cargill, with. Michaol Al'Clair named as co-respondent, misoonduct being the allegation, was heard at the Supremo Court this afternoon. A decrco nisi was granted. Christchurch, August -14. The Supreme Court criminal sittings opened to-day. Robert Mcaclem, Edwara Stewart Agnew, and Samuel Boss—threo Burnham absconders—were presented for sentence for the theft of a motor-car, tho property of Dr. Browne. Ross was sent duck to the Burnham Industrial School, and tho other two wore cacli sentenced to three years' reformatory treatment. Herbert Charles Wilkins, charged wUi the theft of money, was admittod to probation for six months, and ordered to pay d fine of ,£lO. Cecil Herbert Jeffries, a youth who was already on probation for three years, was presented for having broken the terms of his probation. His Honour said that the accuscd had 6howu himself unworthy of probation, aud would have to be dealt with more severely. Ho would be sentenced to sax months' imprisonment, aud, at the expiration, of that sentence, would be detained for twelve months for reformatory treatment. '

Alexander William. Ironside (Mr. Donnelly) pleaded guilty to tho theft of .£7OO, the property of the Public Trustee. Mr. Donnelly said that accused, who was only twenty-three years of age, had unfortunately become associated with those whose means were more than his own, and, in his extravagance, had fallen. Accuscd had paid back all the money which had been in his possession, and lio bad also transferred hack an equity ,in his houca to the Publi6^Tiustce:;p.Ho. ; .liad;friend3 who were prepared to find work fpr mm on a station in tho country as soon bb liia sentence should have expired. The Crown Prosecutor said that the amount unrecovered was over £100. Ho could see no extenuation whatever for the offence. Tho defalcations had taken place over a period of eighteen months, and on one occasion accused had destroyed all tho records of tho defalcation, and,the fact had pnly been discovered by the parties concerned, making complaints to the Public Trustee. His Honour said that accused stood convicted of a gross offence. His ago was thp only tiling in his favour. Ho would be sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for eighteen months.

Archie Porker was acquitted on a charge of having had carnal knowledge of a girl under sixteen years of age. Mary Brown was charged that, on April 17, 'sho had disposed of the dead bray of her child witll intent to' conceal the fact that sho had been delivered of a child. Accused was convicted, but sentence wa£ deferred pending a. decision by tliq Court of Appeal of law points raised. Dunedin, August 14. Tho quarterly criminal sittings of tho Supreme Court commenced to-day, The calendar consists of only three casestheft of a, steer, theft of two five-pound notes, and a charge of obtaining a small suni of money by false pretences. The first of these, in which the accused was Richard Moore, junr., was not completed when the Court rose.