LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1211, 21 August 1911, Page 3

LAW REPORTS.

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS.. THEFT IN HOTEL BAR. THE THIEF TO BE KEFORHED. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court wero continued before Mr. Justice Sim on Saturday morning. Tliero wero a couple of prisoners to bo sentenced, but tlio only trial was tliat of 'William Booth, who pleaded not guilty to a chargo of stealing -JSI2 from tho person of William Laskey, on May 22 last. Mr. H. H. Ostler conducted tho prosecution, and Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for the accused.

According to the evidence given by wifcnt't'.ies for- tho prosecution, Laskey drew some .£2O from the Savings Bank on the morning of May 22, and happening to meet, a friend, • named Hicks, the two visited a number of different hotels in the city. . later in tho afternoon they repaired to tho Foresters' Arms Hotel, in Uhuzneo Street, and remained there about an hour. During their stay in that house a conversation commenced on tho subject of a football match to take place on the. following Saturday, and Laskey produced a roll of notes in order to back his fancy. No bet was made, and he retnrned the money to his pocket. A few minutes later "ho felt a hand in his pocket, and then sa;w a man Tunning out of the hotel. Laskey's money (i£l2) was gone, and before he or his friend, who was a cripple, could recover their wits, the thief had vanished. The niatter'.was reported to the police, and next day Detective Hammond arrested William Booth, whom his fricad identified as the thief.

Tho jury retired at 11.30 a.m. and returned a little before 1 o'clock with a verdict of guilty. ' Mr. O'Leary asked his Honour to give the prisoner a last chance. Mr. Ostler detailed a number of previous convictions for various, offences. His Honour imposed a sentence of two rears imprisonment with hard labour, to be followed by five years' detention in a reformatory prison.

"CAME HERE TO COMMIT PERJURY." IS HE ENTITLED TO PROBATION? 3'oung man, Arthur Frederick Ofcarlos Davies, who, on Fridav, was found guilty of receiving a diamond ring, Knowing it to have been stolen, was brought up for scntcucc ■on Saturday morning. • Mr. H. H. Ostler appeared for tho Crown; and Mr. H. F. O'Leary for tli® prisoner. Mr. O'Leary, on behalf of the prisoner, asked for probation. Davies, he said, had .borne a good character previously, and his _ -employers were willing to take him back again on Monday,- if his Honour cciuld seo his way-to release him. His Honour: The chief difficulty is, Mr 0 Leary, that tho man came here and committed perjury for tho purposo ot' evading conviction. But for that it is clearly a. case for probation. Mr. ,o'T.cary: Is the jury's verdict inconsistent with his story?. A His Honour: Of course it is. Mr. O'Leary: They only found him guilty of receiving, your Honour. His Honour: The jury could not have believed his story about the finding of the ring._ A person, otherwise . entitled to'probation, who comes 'tiere and commits perjury, ought. to forfeit his right to probation. If there is no rulo about that, there ought to be. His Honour concluded by stating that he', would give the matter fiirfher consideration, and the prisoner could be further remanded until Monday.

"VERY COWARDLY ASSAULT." • SEVERE!. SENTENcS.' 1 vr -' Robert Parratt, described as a fireman, 23 years of age, was brought up for sentenco; on Saturday morning •'on a charge of assault. -On -Friday-Parratt had been tried - for "assault and robbery, but the ■jury found him guilty of assault only.. Mr. 11.-H. Webb, who appeared for the prisoner,' suggested that it 'was a - case in which Parratt might be convicted and ordctijd to come lip" for sentence when called on. The prisoner's chief cause of trouble was drink, and he felt, tho disgrace of tho present conviction very keenly. He had sis discharges from different steamers on which he had Worked as fireman, and in each of those his work 1 and conduct had been marked "very good." _ His Honour said he regarded it as a case in which he must inflict' a term of imprisonment. Although the jury had not found tho prisoner was actually responsible for the robbery, ■ they found him guilty of assault at -the time of the robbery, and it was a very cowardly assault The prisoner , had lunched with ' Hogan and had drinks at his expense, and then had hirned round and assaulted him. It •was fortunate for the prisoner that that assault had not-proved more serious.- In view of all the circumstances, his Honour docided that Parratt must be sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment.