SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 219, 10 June 1919, Page 7

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED FIVE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL BOYS His Honour the Chief, Justice (Sir Robert Stout) presided at the Supreme Court' yesterday morning and sentenced several prisoners. Ivan .Illing, who escaped from the Weraroa Training IFnrnr on May 3, and immediately .started on a career of crime, wastho first to appear in. the dock, lie having pleaded" guilty'to two charges of theft, also to breaking mid.entering. His Honour, warned the lad of the prospects before him if he continued in'his career' of crime, and sentenced him to three years' reformative treatment on. each oount, the terms to be concurrent, '

[ THREE BOYS'SENTENCED..' . Albert Edward Erickson, • Georgo Edward Welch, and Ernest Edward Earnsliaw, who had previously been at the Weraroa.' Training Farm, were the next .to be put forward for sentence. The three had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, a jeweller's shop in'Paliintua, and Welch and Eiini.slmw had further pleaded .guilty to .the theft of a-bicycle. His Honour; addressing the lads, warned them that if they, thought they could defythfc Government ami the people of the country they li'ere .greatly mistaken. Erickson appeared to have no moral fibre,' oiid" had bran'led away by tho other two. Etirnshnwhad been previously sentenced in Christehurch for theft. His Honour sentenced each'of'the prisoners to three years' reformative detention, Erickson to go to'. AVaikeria, and tho other two to Invercargill. .

: ' EX-BURN HAM BOY. " ; An ex-Burnliam boy, named Arthur Frederick Eurness, who pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, was represented by Mr. J. Scott. . Counsel-said that .it wan somewhat .difficult to urge anything in the prisoner's favour. He had been before the Court on three previous occasions,'but that was two years ago. Mr. Sc>6tt asked His Honour to take this fact into consideration, and pointed out thatthe young-man was capable of doing bet-. _ter. His . relatives desired that lie.be placed wide' t'<e Prisons Board.

Hjs Honour warned the prisoner that the next time he came before the Court he might be declared a habitual criminal, and (hen ho. might be kept in gaol for a long ,time. Tha prisoner was sten. tenced to ; three vears' reformative treatment.

A FORGED CHEQUE. " Mr. A. W. Blair appeared for Samuel Lockhart Gilmer, who had pleaded guilty 'to forging and .uttering a cheque for ,£SO. Mr. Blair said that the prisoner wis 29 years of age, a married man with one build.. The probation officer hod reported •that he had been addicted to gambling, which was a fact, but the report did not say that'it was some time ago. Howevei, his financial difficulties were due to his former gambling luibits. Since lie married lie had been endeavouring to pay these gambling debts; but recently he liad been served with a summons, and lie 'became so distressed. ot Uiti prospect of publicity that he forged the Oieque in question There was nol the chance of the cheque being cnshc.'l, as the signature waa quite unlike tliat of the nnrty ••whose name 'had feeu forged Mr. Blair suggested that the case was 01.10 for probation. , -

, His Honour said that the probation bfficer's report was favourable, and the prisoner was placed on probation for two year.s on condition that he refrained from gambling. ®