SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

SENTENCES IN CRIME CASES. Seven prisoners came before his Honour tho Chief' Justice (Sir Robert Stout) for seutenco on Saturday for various offences. Marc Mariuhi, a fine specimen of a Maori, and a married man with a family, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of perjury at Otaki, was fortunate enough to have tho Public Prosecutor oh Ins side. Mr, Von Haast, on behalf of accused, said that the police report showed that lie was a hard-working man with nothing against kis character, and his employer stated that for ten years he had been a sober, honest, straightforward, and industrious worker. Accused had stated that there were only two persons entitled to succession! ill respect of a piece of land valued at £37, whereas there were sis, but he did not realise the seriousness of such a statement on oath. There had been.' Native Land Court litigation, Mid accused had spent money on this for his relatives, so he tried to square accounts against, them. He had 110 intention of defrauding liis brothers and sUters.

Mr. H. H. Ostler, Public Prosecutor, added that ho had known accused J>ei - - sonally for many years as one of the comparatively few Maori 1 who-earned their living by constant work. If admitted to probation, this would be a lesson to him.

Tho Chief Justice stated that it was not Usual to admit a prisoner charged with perjury to probation, hut ho would da so iu'diis case for a period of twelve months. Mr. Ostler mentioned that the costs in the Lower Court were £15, as Judge Gilfedder and another witness had to come from K.iiapoi to give evidence. His Honour ordered prisoner tc pay £10 in twelve inoutlhly instalments. What to Do With Him? There was a long record of previous convictions against Walter James Hasler, who pleaded guilty to a charge of rape at Pougaroa. His Honour remarked:, "I don tknow what to do with you." He went- on t-o ■State that prisoner had appeared before him at Napier on a similar charge, on which ho was sentenced to twelro months' imprisonment, a sentence unknown. for its leniency fo? that class of offence. Directly he fciimo out of gaol he had received a sentence of four- : teen days for theft at Ashburton, thou twelve months at Christchureh cm three charges of theft, thai sis months at : tlio same place en four charges of theft, then twelve months at Wellington for assault, followed by three months at Wellington for theft, and then another three 'months. "You athnit you are the same person?" asked Ms Honour. "Worso luck, yes," was the, reply. His Honour* sentenced prisoner to' four years' imprisonment, and declared. him an habitual criminal. "Ymi have. had every ehanißo," added his Honour: "How you get on afterwards will depend entirely, on yourself." Privats Hotel Theft's. George Smith, aged 20 , years, who came up for sentence oil a chargo of theft from tho Hotel Bristol,, and who admitted a similar offence av theEgmoivt Private Hotel, was dealt leniently with in tho hope (said tho Chief Justice) that 'ho would not come before tho Court again. His sontenco was one,of, four months' \Vitk hard, labour. Youthful Forgers.

Three youths from Taihapo named & col-go Simsoii {IS}, Albert Bales (15), and Stanley M'Clure (14), charged with forging and uttering a cheque, were admitted to probation for twelve inoiiths, one of the conditions being that during the first six mouths they had not- to bo out after sis o'clock without the written permission of tho police sergeant, otherwise they would have to go to gaol.

Mr. Arrow-smith, of Tailiape, on hehalf of tlui three youths, pointed out that money was owing to them by a farmer named Griffin, and they took this way of repayment, though' they nia.do no attempt at imitating the hand" writing. Hairdresser's Theft.

Henry Francis Carlton M Gill, hairdresser, Otaki, ■» native of Patone, who came up 'for sentence for theft from the person at Otaki, had four previous convictions against him in 1903 and 1909. The Chief Justico sentenced him to reformative treatment for eighteen mouths at Kaing.aroa, with leave to apply to the Prisons Board.