PRISONERS SENTENCED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 246, 5 July 1918, Page 6

PRISONERS SENTENCED

— o LIGHT PUNISHMENT. I In the Supremo Court yesterday, liefore His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir ■Robert Stout) three prisoners were presented for sentence. William Augustus Caliaghun, convicted of indecent assault on a male, was the first to be put forward. Air. H. ]>\ O'Leary, who appeared for him, said that the primmer was a;i elderly mar, and iiis ease could be viewed as a tragedy. He had lived all these years respectably, and had given way to an impulse and committed the crime—it was an isolated one. The prisoner had come to' Wellington recently and had been engaged in the one employment in Christchurch for 25 years. His Honour said that these assaults on young lads were very serious. He would not, however, impose a sentence of imprisonment in the present case. The orisoneV was sentenced to reformative detention: for a period of. three years. Mary. Grieve, a girl-lfi years of age, had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court to breaking and entering the shop of H. Feist and Co., Lower. Hult. oil June 21, and stealing articles of drapery therefrom to the value of £1 lfls. When quite a child, the girl had been sent to a receiving home, and whilst in the institution she bore a splendid character. Fiom the home she was sen; out to.Mrs Barrow, of Lower Hutt. who employed her as a domestic. His Honour said that the girl was still under the control of the Education Department, and he would leave her under that control, and if she did rot behave herself in future she would oome up for sentence. Jlargaret Jakemau, who pleaded guilty to committing bigamy, was represented by Mr. lI._F. O'Leary. Miss Breinner, officer in charge of the Governmeui Labour department, was called to testify to tha character of the woman. Miss Bremner suid she had known the prisonei for about 12 years, and declared that thi conduct and bthiuinur of the woman hat boen exemplary. She had kept hersel! and her child, and had been hare working. She had been in domestic service, and could return to it. Air. O'Leary said there were circum stances in the case,that would warranl the Cuurt in not sending the woman t< gaol. She had to leave her husbant at Granity about' eight years ago be cause lie was habitually drunk am cruelly ill-treated her. She came tl Wellington with her child; then foui years of age, and had worked very hare since to maintain herself and child About twelve months ago she met tin man with whom she contracted tin second marriage. He knew that she hac been married previously and was in m way deceived. Instead of ascertaininj hor legal position slip took the advice o her friends, who lotl. Her lo beliere tha as filie had not heard from her luisbani for eight yenrs she was quite free t< marry a second time. 1 She knew tha her husband was alive, through the De fence Department. .His Honour, addressing the woman said: "your husband has treated .vol badly and Ins done, nothing io assis >oii, but that was no excuse for you ti marry again. Yon knew that ho- wa: .alive and that he had gone to the war ] think under fhe circumstances, ant that you have siill to maintain youi child, 1 will give you probation for tw< years," and sentence was passed accord ingly.