SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3159, 10 August 1917, Page 8

SUPREME COURT

THE PENALTY OF WRONG-DOING , PRISONERS SENTENCED A number of prisoners came before the Chief, Justice, Sir Hobert. Stout, for sentence yesterday. Mr. V.. V E. Meredith appeared for the Grown, BREAKING AND ENTERING. William Kinnair Cbisholm, found guilty of breaking and entering, was eentenoed to twclvo months' reformative- treatment: His Honour said that prisoner might apply to the Prisons Board at its first sitting to be allowed out on probation. STEALING A MOTOR-CYCLE. Mr. G. G. G. Watson appeared for Ernest Brasting, .who had been convicted of theft. Mr. Watson stated that. Brastine was only 19 years of ago, but, had made repeated endeavours to enlist. The stoleu property, a motor-cycle, had been recovered. His Honour observed that this was not Brasting's first escapade. He had been twice previously convicted of theft. Ho would be. sentenced to twelve months' reformative treatment, to bo served at. Invcrcargill. The Prisons Board ■ would roach Invercargill- in a few months' time, and they would see whether they could release him then. ' FORGER AND DESERTER. Henry Williams, found guilty of forgery, admitted in addition that he was a deserter fronTthc Expeditionary Forces. He was at present serving three months for vagrancy,-and had pleaded guilty to forging two other cheques. His Honour said that the Prisons Board might deal with Williams, and perhaps enable him to re.ioin .the Expeditionary Forces., Prisoner would be sentenced only to reformative detention, and His Honour would ask the board to consider hia case -when the present sentence of three months expired. If Williams offended again, he would bo liable to be declared an habitual criminal. Prisoner was ordered to undergo two years' reformative treatment. . THEFT FROM A DWELLING. Denis William 'Quill, who had pleaded guilty to a~chargc of theft from a dwelling, said that that was the first offence for which, he had v come before the Supreme Court. His Honour replied that in the Magistrate's Court prisoner had been convicted about twenty-one times of various offences, including drunkenness. Quill urged that his fall was due. to liquor, and asked that he be allowed to join the Forces. His Honour: I don't know whether you are a person fit t# be sent, away with decent soldiers. I could, if I chose, declare you an habitual criminal, but I shall not do so. You will be sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for two years. OFFENCES DUE TO DRINK. Michael Joseph M'Caun had pleaded guilty to three charges of theft. His Honourisaid that no doubt prisoner was one of the victims of our social habit of taking alcohol. He was not over-stat-ing the case when he said that at least one-third of the criminals who came before him could attribute their fall to liquor. After referring to prisoner's record. His Honour said he cid »it think there would be any .use n sending prisoner before the Prisons Board again. Ihe sentence would be two years hard labour. ' _____ AN UNFORTUNATE CASE. A story of misfortune was disclosed in the case of Sarah Ann Cassin. Who had pleaded guilty to a charge of bigamy. Mr H. F. O'Leary said that prisoner was 26 years of aEe. She married Casslu when she was sixteen, and at nineteen was the mother of three children. She lived unhappily with Cassin, and they parted -company, placing the children in a homo in Auckland. Prisoner worked as a domestic in various places, and some three years ago she met a man with whom she lived for a. time. The man enlisted, and before going to the front, he importuned prisoner [whose position he knew) to go through a form ol marriage with him. She consented. About six. months ago the man was killed in _W»t° Counsel asked the Court to grant P Hh a H°oiiour said that the reports from the Probation Officer and the polite were favourable to prisoner. Though it was unusual to grant probation in a case of "amy lie would- grant it in this case. Prisoner would be admitted to probation for twelve months. REMANDED. William Scholes had pleaded guilty to charges of foreiug and uttering and lalse l "His n iimiour deferred the passing of> sentence til to-day. and ordered inquiries to be made fn the t meantime about the nosition of prisoner's wife and enilU. Herbert William Gough, a .youth who hail" liccn convicted of sending threaten, ng. letters to a woman, demanding that sic should leave £30 Tor him at a ccr am, I „ further remanded till Jlojidiv week. A charge of, attempting to chToroK a girl is pending against the prisoner. • FORGING AND UTTERING. Arthur Thomas Lamb was charged with having, on July tO, at Palmorston North, forged and uttered a cheque for ioO, drawn on the Bank of Australasia, at Wellington, and signed A. C. Thomas. Ho was further charged (1) With having ohtiiivd from the Nonnancl Motor Coy. an 'Indian motor-cycle by means of a valueless cheque; '.2) with having similarly obtained I'voni Annie Tail, a seeing machine valued at £4 15s. Mr. 11. H. Cornish defended. , , ~ The jury, after a' lew minutes retirement, returned a verdict, of guilty. Hia Honour sentenced the prisoner to twelve months' reformative treatment, on each charge, the sentences to bo concurrent,