SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2733, 30 March 1916, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

TWO PRISONERS SENTENCED

Two prisoners appeared! for sentence beforo His Honour tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) in t'he Supreme .Court yesterday morning. Mr. I'. S. K. Macassey, of tho Croivn Law Office, represented the Crown, but neither priI soner had counsel to appear.

Dnniel Reardon, 41 years of age, a married man, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering and theft at Blenheim, was not making his first appearance in a court of justice. He 'had been convicted of 23 different offences sinco 1903, his record, as His Honour pointed out, being that of a confirmed drunkard. A sentence of two years' reformative treatment was passed. 1 Several previous convictions, for theft had been recorded against Edward Kerr, who had pleaded guilty to a further similar charge at l'lcton. In passing sentenco, the Chief Justice remarked upon t'he fact that Kerr was liable to an indeterminate sentence. On this occasion, His Honour did not propose to declare the prisoner a habitual criminal, but ho would bo sent to gaol for two years for rei'ormativo treatment. The Prisons Board could deal with bis case. /

BANCO SITTING

His Honour the Chief Justice • (Sir Robert Stout) presided at a Banco sitting of the Supreme, Ccurt yesterday to deal with, a case stated by the Ikaroa District Maori Land Board to obtain au opinion on certain paints, of law, arising out of an application for confirmation of the transfer of a seotion of Native land. There had been, a double leasing and the confirmation of the transfer asked for was held over by 'tile board, pending the matter being referred to the Supreme Court, i Mr. E. P. Bunny and Mr. H. F. Ayson appeared for Mrs. Helen Stevens, one of tho interested parties to the lease, while Mr'. 0. N. Beere appeared for Archibald Arthur Brown, the other interested party. Decision was reserved.