SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2769, 12 May 1916, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

THE CRIMINAL SESSIONS

His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) was again oil the Bench yesterday when tho criminal sessions of the Supremo Court were continued. Mr. V. R. Meredith, of the Crown Law Office, represented tho Crown.

MOTOR-CAE ACCIDENT, Hearing was concluded of the case connected with a motor-car accident, which occurred hi Manners Street on February 15 last, when Mr. Solomon Myers was seriously injured. A voung man; n; med John. tho driver of tho motorcar, was charged with causing actual bodily harm to Mr. Myers under such circumstances that, had Mr. Myers died, the accused would have been guilty of manslaughter. Mr. T. M. Wilford appeared for tho accused.

The jury, after considering tho evidence for some time, returned with a verdict of not guilty, and expressed the opinion that the accused did his best to avert the accident.

His Honour, in ordering that tho prisoner bo discharged, advised him to #be more careful in future when idriving in the narrow: streets of the city.

A PLEA OF GUILTY. Francis Alfred La.rkin, for whom Mr. Wilford appeared, pleaded guilty to three charges of false protences. The.offences consisted in representing to tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., that he was the owner of a farm at Mnsterton, ou which was a crop of oats, and thereby obtaining a supply of sacks valued at <£19 15s. 6d. ' His Honour' deferred passing of sentence until Saturday morning. . THE NAIRN STREET TRAGEDY. Ernest Charles Jewell Devoin appeared in the dock at 2 o'clock to ' answer charges.of attempting to murder Louisa White, and attempting to commit suicide. He Was represented by Mr. T. M. AVilford. Mr. Meredith, addressing His Honour before tho swearing-in of a jury, saidthat, since tho proceedings in the Lower Court had been commenced, a serious change for the Worse had taken placo in the condition of Miss White, and the Hospital surgeon (Dr.' Aldred) had expressed the opinion that it was impossible for her to recover. In tho circumstances, counsel felt called upon to ask for an adjournment of • the proceedings until next session, as it was possible that accused might yet hrfve to answer the grave charge of murder. Mi\ AVilford, in reply; to His Honour, said'he agreed that the course proposed by Mr. Meredith was'the proper one in the circumstances. His Honour: I agree also. Tho hearing of the case was accordingly set back until the next sittings of the Court. CIVIL CASE. REDUCTION OF DAMAGES SOUGHT. His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman heard an application by defendants for reduction of damages in tho case of the Wellington Publishing C0.,-Ltd., v. the Commonwealth aud Dominion Line, Ltd. Mr. T. Young appeared for the defendants in support of the application, while Mr. M. Myers appeared for the plaintiff company. In the original action, tho Wellington Publishing Company claimed .£l5O from the Commonwealth and Dominion Line as damages for the loss of a package of machinery, which was broken when, being unloaded from the steamer at Wellington. A jury of four returned a verdict for tha Wellington Publishing Company for the full amount, and it was. to reduce this amount that the defendant company now camo to Court, aud preceded by way of a motion for a new trial.

After hearing legal argument,. .His Honour reserved judgment.