SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2690, 9 February 1916, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

ALLEGED THEFT FHOM A SHIP

PECULIAR VERDICT

His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman was again on the Bench when the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court were continued yesterday. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, of the Crown Law Office, represented the Crown.

As a result of the discovery of lire and theft on R.M.S. Corinthic at Wellington on the morning of December 30 last, two able seamen, named Albert James Adams and Robert Ralph Carr, were charged with stealing from tho Corinthic surgical instruments, invalid food, etc., to the value of £GO. Pleas of not guilty were entered in both cases. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for Carr, but the accu^p' l Adams was not represented by counsel. According to the evidence for tho prosecution Carr and Adams were seen by the night-watchman of the vessel in one of the alley-ways before 3 o'clock in the morning of December 30. About three-quarters of an hour later a fire was discovered in tho surgery, and when this was extinguished surgical instruments and other articles of considerable value were missing. Later in the day both Adams and Carr were arrested. Statements made by tho accused were taken down in writing, and were produced in Court. Adams, in his statement, admitted going to the surgery with Carr, and there consuming a bottle of brandy. Adams then left by the porthole, and Carr handed to him the surgical instruments and other goods, which were concealed in various places on the vessel. Carr admitted entering the surgery and consuming the liquor, but pleaded that ho was so that he knew nothing of the theft. Dotectives discovered practically the whole of the missing property. The defence was that the accused wero not responsible for their actions on the night that the theft took place,because of the fact that both had been drinking heavily. After retiring for four hours, the jury_ returned the following verdict: "Guilty with no criminal intent, act committed while under the influence of temporary insanity." s His Honour said he would have to consider what the effect of that verdict was, and the prisoners were accordingly removed from the dock. . REMANDED FOR SENTENCE. Caesar Waters, for whom Mr. G. G. G. Watson appeared, was found guilty of indecent assault on a male, and was remanded for sentence. Thomas Langlois pleaded not guilty to a charge of indeccntly assaulting a male, and was defended by Mr. 0. C. Mazengarb. In this case also a verdict of guilty was returned, and tho prisoner was remanded for sentence.