LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2269, 1 October 1914, Page 9

LAW REPORTS.

SUPREME COURT

RECENT CITY BURGLARIES

A FIVE YEAR'S SENTENCE

The series of burglaries which took place in Wellington a few months ago, and which were traced to an immigrant named William Gillham, were recalled by the reappearance of the prisoner in the' dock, of the Supreme Court, before Mr. Justice Hosking, yesterday. He had been arrested for burglary at Wanganui, had ; afterwards admitted the Wellington crimes, and had three weeks ago ■ appeared before His Honour for sentence. ,At that time it was reported that over £100 worth of jewellery had not been recovered, and Gillham stated he had ' directed - the police in tho recovery of all the property he knew of. Hp could, then .remember no other "plant." . His Honour said the prisoner had better try and remember what had become ; of it, and accordingly remanded him. " ' Yesterday it was reported that no further discovery had been made, and His Honour asked the prisoner- if it was true that he had boasted to the other prisoners about a "plant" which .ivould be useful on his release. Prisoner: Yes,; I told them I've got a "plant," and I told them I got a sentence of six- months in Bombay, India. A man who is in gaol and has nothing "against his release" is considereda mug. •His Honour: You seem to have had some experience. Prisoner: No, Your Honour. I've learned, that since I've been in gaol here. , I've been up there nine weeks. His Honour: Do you know Hatton Gardens? The prisoner replied in the affirmative. His Honour said that the reason he asked was that he had a letter written by someone about a jeweller's shop there. His Honour went on to say that the. prisoner- seemed to regard crime as a matter for boasting ; about. There were ten charges of breaking, entering, and. theft against him. The Court- would have to mark the offence by an ample sentence, and the prisoner opportunity to reform. • Ho would be sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour, to -be followed by three years' detention for reforma-. Tory treatment.

BREACHES; OF PROBATION. ' A young man, named John Barnes, for a breach of his probation order —he had covertly changed his address and also his name—\yas placed on probation for three years from date, subject to the condition that he he of good behaviour, and thai/ ho pay the_ balance of the costs of the. prosecution £3, and also the sum of £10 for damage done to the bicycle concerned in the original charge, the money to be paid iiv instalments % of 10s. per month. If .prisoner appeared in Cotat- again there would be nothing but gaol for him. Mr. I'. W. Jackson appeared for the acoused. ' Bernard Tamatea/ Walden, a half-' caste Ma<Jri, who appeared on a: charge of breach/of a probation •ordei', said he was- undergoing two months! .imprisonment on the charges, which" constitutedthe broach, and his parents had not had an opportunity of instructing his solicitor. His Honour ordered ;a . remand until Saturday morning, in order that counsel could'be engaged on the prisoner's behalf.. :

LENIENT TREATMENT. ..Stanley Willoughby, for whom Mr. P. J. O'R-egan appeared, had to answer for ten separate charges of forgery and uttering. He had been canvassing for business for the Now Zealand Shipping and Commerce Gazette Co., Ltd;, and his crime consisted of writing out bogus' orders and realising. commission, on' them.' ' v - • Mr. O'Regan submitted that the case was eminently one fj>r probation. A gentleman, who'.did not • wish to have, bis name disclosed,' had forwarded tlie. sum of £5 to assist accused in his prosent trouble, or when lie had completed any sentence' imposed by the Court. His Honour said that there was no jdoubt that accused's offence' was a swindle, but, as lie was a first offender, the provisions of the Probation Act would be .extended to him.' His Honour would assume that accused's employers were out of pocket to the extent of. £7 hy the crime. The accused would be admitted to probation for Rvo years, on condition that he paid, the costs' of the prosecution at once, and; refunded the "N.Z. Shipping and Gommerco Gazette'! Company the sum of £7 within three months.

FORGERY AND UTTERING. Frederick Joseph Price, a farm hand, twenty years of age,' asked His Honour for lenient treatment in connection with the charge of forgery and uttering to which accused bad entered a "plea of guilty in the Lower Court. Mr. Ostler (for, the Crown) informed His Honour that accused had to appear before the Magistrate for sentenco on charges of theft of the cheque and the order. The Magistrate had remanded him for' sentence in order to 'see how the Supreme Court would deal with the case. . ■

Accused- was admitted to probation for two years. Tho bicycle whicli, lie had purchased would have to bo returned to the firm from whom it had been bought, and tho total amount of the defalcations would have to be made good by refund of the money found in his possession, and by other payments to bo made witliin three mouths.