SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 171, 14 April 1919, Page 6

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED

. ..At the Supreme 'Court on Saturday, be--fore His Honour tho Chief Justice, James •M'Donald, who pleaded guilty to a charge *of theft, when usied if lie had anytinii" to say, informed His Honour that he was a stranger in the Dominion, that he had a wife .and- family at Home, and ■would like.to.have the chauco of getting c cut of the. country. ~His Honour remarked that the prisoner had been convicted of six charges of theft, la two,months, and was another .of„,the victims .of drinking, a victim of ■pursflcial.life,.and had no excuse beyond .; drinking.; -M'Donald- ■ was sentenced to two years' reformative treatment. . Walter ; .Herbert.,ChiverS, a steward on the s.s. Jioeruki, who pleaded guilty to i having forged a letter purporting to he 6igned by the father of a boy who wished to join the vessel, said that he did not think he was doing wrong when he signed the certificate.' The police report Being favourable,' His Honour admitted Chivers to probation' for twelve months on tho usual terms;

Frederick Andersen, who pleaded guilty to wilfully-deceiving an attesting officer of the N.Z.E.F., was represented by Mr ■P. .W.'Jackson, who said that this was .the prisoner's.first offence. His Honour said that Anderson was another victim of drinking, and was a hard-working man when sober. M.r. Jackson said -that Andersen's offence was in saying that -his mother was a German.

His Honour said he had no sympathy with such a shirker. The man told a lie to get out of'camp, His father was a 'Swede, and his mother was born in London.

•' -Mr. Jackson suggested that the matter might be met by a fine. His Honour: Lam not going to impose a fine. I havo lio sympathy with a man who commits an offence of this kind. Andersen was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour.