MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2633, 2 December 1915, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

SOME SALUTARY SENTENCES

Major H. F. Davis and Mr., J. B. Speed, Justices of- the l'eace, occupied the Bench at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, and imposed maximum penalties on some of the defendants appearing before. them. s The cages for hearing included vagrancy eharges preferred against four women of the undesirable class. Olio of these, May Sidon, had a vory bad record, and, according' to Inspector Hendrey, she ivas a menace to tho health of the community. She had been . arrested in Sydney Street in consequence of a complaint that women were importuning the soldiers between the Lambton Railway * Station aud the Soldiers' Club. The Bench expressed a determination to protect the country's, defenders from such women, and the maximum penalty, which in ; view of the women's previous convictions was two years' imprisonment with hard labour. Annabella '.Swansqn, charged with being a rogue and a vagabond, also received the maximum penalty, which in her case was twelve months' imprisonment.

Frances Mitoliington, also charged with being a rogue, and a vagabond, called a witness to say. that.' she had ..lawful means of support, but tie Bench did not accept the defence, and accused was sent to prison for sis months. Grace King, for whom Mr. W. F. Ward appeared, was convicted of being an idle and" disorderly person,-but, -as her past "character had not been had, she was merely ordered to come up for sentence when oalled upon.'- ' :. THEFT. , ' A young man, named Erie Williams, a recent arrival; from Australia,' pleaded guilty to having stolen an • overcoat, which was valued ( at 305., and which the accused sold to a secondhand-dealer for ss. Ho was convicted and ordered to come tip for sentence when called on, a condition being-that he remained in tho Salvation Army Home until Work could be procured for him. , A married man, named Harry Scott, who stole a gold neck-chain from • the Central Hotel, was fined 20s. The Bench took a lenient view of the offence, because the accused was a firstoffender and had a wife and three chil- | dren to support. . OTHER CASES. | A young man, named John Steele, who admitted having committed an offence of a disgusting nature at a picture theatre on Tuesday night, was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment—the maximum penalty. Walter Sheppard, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing an overcoat _ from the Ruapehu at Wellington in July last, was remanded j until Bail was allowed in the sum of £10, and one surety of a like amount. r : Caesar Waters was' remanded until December 8 on a charge of indecent assault.