SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2459, 12 May 1915, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS PRISONERS SENTENCE® The orminal sessions of the Supremo Court were continued before His Honour t'he Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) yesterday morning. Mr. V. II- Meredith, of the Crown Law Office, represented the Crown. Before the oases for trial were proceeded with, two prisoners, who had pleaded guilty to offences in the Lower Court, were brought up for sentence. Leo Stephen Curtis, 26 years of ago, and formerly tora clerk at Ohakune, had to answer for sis charges of theft from the Ohakune Borough Council. The chargos extended over a period from November, 1913, to August, 1914, and involved a total sum of £276 4s. sd. Sir John Findlay, K.C., with him Mr. D. ft. Hoggard, appeared for the prisoner. His Honour, in answer to a question by Sir John iFndlay, stated that the report as to the prisoner's character was favourable. Sir John Findlay, while admitting that the praotice of the Court had not been to grant probation where there were crimes extending over a lengthy period, said he was going to make an application similar to that made on behalf of a "prisoner ill Cbristchurch recently—namely. that sentence might be postponed, and that Curtis_ might be given an opportunity of going to the war. Counsel mentioned that Curtis was the son of highly respectable parents, and had hitherto borne a. good character. Arrangements had been made wlioreby there would be full restitution. On the outbreak of war Curtis had volunteered for active service, and had gone to Egypt. He was a trained soldier, and hiß superior officers were sorry to part with him. If. the authorities would take him he could render good service yet.. His Honour intimated that if the authorities would take tin prisoner probation would be granted. Sentence was accordingly deferred unui Monday. BREAKING AND ENTERING. A Native woman, named Maka Kaimoka, against whom there were previous convictions for forgery, theft, obscene language, and escaping from custody, had pleaded guilty to a charge of housebreaking at Gonville, Wanganui, where she had entered the dwelling of Te Aorere and stolen goods to the value of £31 17s. 6d. She was not represented by counsel yesterday. His Honour informed the prisoner that she was liable to be declared a habitual criminal. He did not make the declaration on this oi:casion, but imposed a sentence of twelve months' imprisonment, to be served in the female prison at Addington. . A SERIOUS CRIME. The trial of Henry Morgan Dwyer was then proceeded with. He was charged with indecently assaulting a girl, 4 years of age. The offence was alleged to have taken place at Oriental Bay on February 15 last. The accused pleaded not guilty, Mr. H. F. Ayson being assigned by the Crown to defend. The Court was cleared during the hearing of evidence. At 11.50 a.m. the jury retired, and subsequently they visited the scene of the alleged crime at Oriental Bay. A verdict of guilty was returned, and the prisoner was remanded for senteac®. RECEIVING STOLEN GOODS. A seafaring man named James Andrews was charged with the theft of a mail bag and contents on board the steamer Corint'iic between December 10, 1914, and January 27, 1915. There were alternative counts of theft of certain goods, and of receiving. The prisoner entered a plea o2 not guilty, out was not represented by counsel. Evidence for the prosecution showed that Detectives Cameron and Mason had discovered oertain of the stolen goods in the accused's bunk on the Corinthic, and this led to his arrest. No evidence was called for the defence. but Andrews in a statement from the dock pleaded innocence, and declared that he was ignorant of the manner in which the stolen goods found their way into his possession. After a brief retirement the jury returned a verdict of guilty on the charge of receiving stolen goods. Passing of sentence was deferrol. ASSAULT WITH INTENT TO. ROB. John Daltpn, Alexander Robinson, and William Tyler were not represented by counsel when they appeared in the dock to answer a charge of robbery with violence. They were alleged to have assaulted R. H. Bennett in an outhouse at Barrett's Hotel on April 10 last and to have extracted £o from his pockets. All three accused, pleaded not guilty. After hearing the evidence the jury considered the case for five minutes, and found 'the accused gui'ty of assault with intent to rob, Iney were remanded for sentence.