SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 107, 30 January 1919, Page 7

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED ..FORGERY AND'UTTERING /..'.• "T - ~— ■ His "Honour the Chief Justice '. (Sir Robert Stout) had 'before him in the Supreme..Court yesterday morning three prisoners, -who were- committed at country Magistrate's Courts for- -sentence. Mr. J. I'lemk'vilhv of the Crown Lav Office, appeared for-the- Crown: iAlfred. Krnpjt-'Johnson, described as a: shepherd, who pleaded guilty at Palmerstou North-to four charges of forgery and-uttering, was the fir.-it to be placed .in the dock. ■ . ■ ■ Mr. Tl. J ,, . O'Leary, who? appeared for (lie prisoner, stated that Johnson having committed four separate offences placed himself outside of the Probation Act, and ho would not therefore -suggest that, he should' be granted probation. Although Johnson had becu guilty of four separate offences this was Ihn "first occasion I hat he had appeared in court, liefore this lapse the man had been a good worker with a good character. He was a young man and had recently married, lie bad not shown any criminal tendency previously, and in view of I his counsel hoped Ilis Honour would deal leniently with (ho prisoner and take the cniiir.se His Honour had taken in other cases, and order the ninn to come up for si'iitiiiiee when called upon. ■ His Honour said he would deal leniently with the prisoner, and sentence him to six mouths' imprisonment on each count, the terms to be concurrent. Sydney Hex ted, who hud pleaded guilty to six charges of, forgery nnd nt hiring, was the next to be sentenced. Mcxte.d yielded to a sudden outburst and obtained over .£ls, which was spent mainly on jewellery. His .Honour snid that in his opinion' the young man needed looking aflcir. There was. nothing criminal about him, but ho was not strong mentally. Mcxted was sentenced to five, years' reformative treatment on each charge, -tlit? terms to 'he concurrent, in order io give the Prisons Board a change of looking after him. A young, man named Joseph Allen Smith, whoso criminal record was a lengthy one, pleaded guilty at Marton In 'two' charges of theft. Hβ was, sentenced to two years' imprisonment on each charge, the terms to bo concurrent, and was also declared an habitual criminal.