LAW REPORTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2689, 8 February 1916, Page 9

LAW REPORTS

SUPREME COURT A LIGHT CALENDAR "lis Honour Mr. Justice Chapman was the bench yesterday morning when ! criminal sessions of tlie Supreme urt were commenced'. Mr. P. S. K. eassey, of the Crown Law Office, relented the Crown. llhe following were chosen for the and 'Jury:—Messrs John Prouso reman), James Brown Moodie, Her"t Swi'nton Bird Fletcher, Robert :ming, Thomas Lane Churchward, 'bert Allender, Frank Marmaduko ittain, Aubrey Gaultor, Archibald uglas Cook, Walter Keay, sen., Al-' 't Enfield Ramsden, William Pryor, arles Henry Gell, William Henry Iton, Frederick Palethorp, Edward :ssel Liddle, and John Fraser. The Grand Jury. In addressing the Grand Jury, His mour said he was pleased! to be able tell them that t/lieir duties would bo ry short indeed. There were only six Is for consideration, and none preuted any complexities. It was a matr for congratulation that at a time :e this, when the Government was ibarrassed with so many other probns, there should be no difficulty with y criminal population. At the worst, s had only a small criminal population re, and it seemed to have diminished ice the sta.rt of the war. The same ing had been noticed in England. His Dnour then went on to refer more parsularly to the lialf-dozen cases to be alt with by the Grand Jury. True Bills. True bills were returned as follow. — )rman Copelaud! M'Pbee, alleged asult with intent; James Cook, alleged sault causing actual bodily harm; lesar Wanters, alleged indecent asult; Percy John Connors, alleged oft; Albert James Adams and Robert ilph Carr, alleged theft from a vessel; id Thomas Langlois, alleged indecent sault. An Acquittal. The first case taken was that of Noran Copelaud M'Phee, a young man, lio pleaded not guilty to assaulting an derly woman with intent to commit a ime. Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for io defence. After a brief retirement the jury reirned a verdict of not guilty, and the •isoner was discharged. Guilty of Assault. James Cook, who was arrested bj 3rgeaiit Wade at 4.15 on Christinas orniug, was charged with having asuiltcd Henry Wilkinson, Henry Wilkisou, jun., and William Wilkinson st 5 to cause them actual bodily harm here were alternative counts of com ion assault. Mr. H. F. o'l<eary ap eared for the accused, who pleaded no uilty. The charges were the outcome of ai ncurrenco in Jew's Boardingliouse, oi ambton Quay; It appeared that tin iree Wilkinsons (the father and twi jns) were hoarders at tho premises nd the accused was .mother boarder he allegation was that, after the lathe ad remonstrated with Cook about tli ittor tempting the sons to drink, Cool ttacked all tlliree with a belt, on whic' •jis an Army buckle. Dr. Henry ha< [j be called to attend tho Wilkinsons dio were bleeding freely from hea' ■ounds. Tho defence was briefly tha lie accused acted in self-defence. Tho jury retired about 4 o'clock ail eturned at 5.35 p.m. with a verdict c uilty of common assault. The verdic rns accompanied by a strong recorr lendation to mercy. His Honour imposed a sentence c our months' imprisonment with har abour.