PRISONER SENTENCED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 269, 9 August 1919, Page 8

PRISONER SENTENCED

REFORMATIVE TREATMENT. Horace Benjamin Martin, who was found guilty in the Supreme Court oh Tuesday last of attempting to oommit an indecent assault on a boy, and who wns remanded for medical examination, came wp for sentence before His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer yesterday mornMr. P. ,T. O'Regap, who appeared for the accused, said that by way of extenuation he would refer to thofact that until tho present lapse the prisoner's l'ccord had been good. Ho underwent operations on three different occasions in ordei to qualify for active military service, aJid was eventually accepted for service in 1917. ' Ho got. as far as Albany, and i" consequence of an attack of chronic gastritis ho was invalided hack from that port. In tho Hawke's Bay district he was connected with tho Scout movement and was a Scoutmnster for somo time. His conduct all through was very good, and he (counsel) had a sheaf of letters from prominent business men, also from Cabinet Ministers, eulogising tho prisoner. Martin was 3G years of age, and this wns tho first time that ho had appeared in tho dock. Counsel suggesteA that this ivas a caso that would be best mot by a term of reformative 'treatment, and ho urged His Honour to give consideration to tho previous good character of tho prisoner. His Honour, addressing tho prisoner, snid: "You linvo been convicted of a serious and somewhat disgusting offence, but after reading the report handed to me by tho police and also the statements of your former employer, and bearing in mind your previous good character, I fool I am justified in placing you under control. I will therefore sentence you to a term of reformative treatment not to exceed five years."