PRISONERS FOR SENTENCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2848, 12 August 1916, Page 3

PRISONERS FOR SENTENCE

Mr. Justice Chapman presided at the Supremo Court yesterday. Henry Hudson Perfect, a• railway signalman at Petone, was charged with indecent assault on a girl at Petono. Jlr. V. R. Meredith appeared for tho Crown, and Mr. T. 51. Wilford defended. Mr. R. W. Martin was foreman of the jury.

Tho evidence for the prosecution was on tho lines of that given in the Magistrate's Court at Petone. <

For tho defence Mr. Wilford called Albert Edward Frost, another signalman at Petone, who said the signalboxes were connected by telephone, and on the evening in question lie did not receive any message by telephono from tho accused.

Accused went into tne witness-box and said the evidence given by the children was absolutely false. The girl was in the signal-box one evening previously with her brother. He had been in the railway service for fifteen years and a signalman for thirteen years. Tlie "fury retired at 3.5 p.m. an<T returned at 7.35 p.m., and tne foreman reported that tncy were unable to agree. '

Mr. Meredith asked for a new trial, which was granted and fixed for Tuesday.

/flio accused was admitted to bail on 'lis own recognisances. Percy Holt, for whom Mr. T. M. Wilford appeared, was charged with indecent assault on a girl. Mr. V. R. Meredith, of the Crown Law Office, prosecuted. Mr. "\Vm. Waters was foreman of 'the jury. . The evidence for the prosecution was the same as that given in the Lower Court. 'Die evidence called for the defence was in the direction of proving an alibi. The accused also gave evidence. After a short retirement the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and the accused was discharged. PRISONERS FOR SENTENCE. The Chief' Justie (Sir Robert Stout) will pass sentence this morning on the following prisoners:— James Robertson, indecency. Karl Anderson, assault causing actual bodily harm. >. Taipua Cootes, theft from n, dwelling. James Homy Bray, theft of goods from a warohouse. Henry Donald Campbell, ( -assault. Isadora Mount, indecent assault. Charles Hector Dudley, forgery. William David Creamer and James Farrelly, theft from a dwelling. Fredorick Gibbs, theft of money. John Edward Ramsay, breaking, entering, and theft at Hawera. Daniel Alexander M'Donald, theft of a postal packet at New Plymouth.