SENTENCES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1285, 14 November 1911, Page 3

SENTENCES.

THE VARIOUSC KIME CAUSES. Hoforo tho criminal sittings of tho Supremo Court r-tunmonccil yesterday tho Chief Justice (Sir Holxrl Stout) passed sentence on a. liumlxT of priEunco, who had pleaded guilty. "DRINK ENTIRELY." I'IHST CASK OX NKW KfiMKDY. John Itelrher, who had pleaded guilty In stealing a ivateh and chain from I lie person <if .Alexander .Inhn.-nn at Seddoiu Blenheim, sl.iteil that it was entirely due (o drink that h'» stood in tho duck lo answer tho charge. His Honour asked if anything was known about tho prisoner's drinking habits. Mr. Xoave replied that tho renort from the polioo at Secldon was to tho effect that Belcncr was very much addicted to drink. His Honour remarked that it appeared that tho offence had been committed while prisoner was under tho influence of drink. He had been convicted of theft ten years ago, and of foTgery four years ago. He now asked to be sent to some place— not a, prison—where ho could bo treated for drink. His Honour had never yet adopted such a coursc, but by tho power conferred in tho Reformatory Institutions Act, 1900, ho would send the prisoner to Rotoroa Island for 12 months, where he could be treated as a habitual inebriate. This was the first ease in the Dominion to be tried on this system, and were it not for the long period between the prisoner's offences tho sentence would not liave been so light. It was, however, his Honour's duty to see how tho Act would work.

AFTER GETTING PROBATION. WHERE THE MAN WAS LOCATED. Leslio Eyan, quite a young man, was brought up for sentence for breach of probation. He had nothing to say. Mr. Neave stated that tho prisoner had been granted probation for thres years on July 1 last, and had also been ordered to pay costs .fill 95., and to refund the value of a forged cheque, .£26 14s. After obtaining his license, however, ho had not reported himself, but had'subsequently been located in Lvttelton prison, where he was serving a sentence of three months for false pretences. He had preyiously been granted probation for two years in Wanganui in 1009. His ■Honour stated that he could not overlook this lapse, else the whole probation system would break down. At the close of the present sentence the prisoner would have to serve two years' reformatory treatment, and lie could apply to the lxiard as to whether lie should again be admitted to probation. His Honour warned liim that- he was fast hastening lo become an habitual criminal. PATHETIC CASE. A young woman, who had pleaded guilty to forging and uttering a cheque foi at Stratford, was brought forward for sentence. Mr R. B. Williams, who appeared on her behalf, stated that it was clear that this unfortunate woman stood sclf-oon-fessed. She was twenty-two years of age, and had bean a school teacher for throe years. Her mother was a widow, the accused being tho eldest of a family of ten children. She bad been a school teacher for the past three years, and had bwsa a valuable help in Keeping tho family going. Tho present offence bad been committed on a sudden impulse, ihe young woman had previously given her mother her month's salary, and them worried by n demand for the , paymeut of a debt she owed she had taken her mother's cheque book and forged the' person's nnme There could be no solution of the affair, except that the accused was taken possession of by a fit of irresponsibility, probably brought about by tho tact that she had been working hard to gnin her D certificate. She and her family had already suffered much, and she would now "have to seek a new avenue of employment. Counsal suggested that it was a suitable case for probation. His Honour: I am very sorry l for you, prisoner. It is not usual to grant probation for forgery, but I will admit you to probation for twelve months. 1 No doubt you will not trouble. the Court again. An order was made that' .£5 recovered should be refunded to tho complainant.