PRISONERS SENTENCED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 32, 1 November 1919, Page 12

PRISONERS SENTENCED

TWO HABITUAL CRIMINALS. lit tire Supremo Court yesterday morning, His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) passed sentence upon two prisoners. Henry Wong Gvc, who pleaded guilty at Pahnerston North to two charges of false pretences, was tlio first to appear in 'tlie (lock, and had nothing lo say why sentence should not be passed upon liini. Ilis 'Honour said that unfortunately for tlio prisoner this was not the first timo ho hail been Moro tlio Court. Tho prisoner beja.n his criminal career in Dunedin in llKlfl, when lio was sentenced to ten months-' imprisonment, and subsequently ho was convicted in 1905, 190G, 1907, *1903, 1909, and 1911, at Wellington, Hokitika, and in 1914 was declared a habitual criminal. He was released by ths Prison Board after serving eome time, and apparently tho prisoner behaved himself for two or thrco years. Ho was taken into tho Government service, where ho remaind for a year or more, and then when ho got out of work he committed tho offencos to which ho had pleaded guilty. His Honour said ho did not intend to pass a heavy sentence on prisoner in view of his two or three years' good conduct. Tho prisoner attributed his downfall to drink, and His Honour remarked that tho people of New Zealand did not appea.r to understand what lie had pointed out many times: that drink was the cause of a "great deal of the crime in tho country. His Honour sentenced the. prisoner to 12 .months' imprisonment for each offence, tho terms to be concurrent, and again declared him a haljitual criminal.

A CAICEEIt OP GRIME, llichae)'. Helm, a young man, who had pieaded guilty iu the Magistrate's Court, Wellington, to sixteen charges of forgery, was tho next to bo put forward for' sentence. Helm issued valueless cheques involving a total of 18s., nnd with one excoption all the offences were committed between July 10 nnd August 18 of tho present year. Tho firms victimised were: Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd., David Straehau,. Wiggins and Co., Ilood Bros., Wallace and Gib. eon, Colo's Cash Drapery Store, George 11. Tiller, Joseph H'Sweeney, Hugh Gilmer, nnd others, ' His Honour said that prisonor at trlbuted his crimes to drink. Ilelm had been in prison before, and had been declared a habitual criminal. After being released by tho Prisons Board Helm again got into trouble, and wns sentenced to three years' reformative treatment for forgery. Helm escaped from gaol and then committed lho sixteen offences. He began his criminni career in 190 S. The police report was that the young man was addicted to drink, and did not like work, His. Honour sentenced Helm t'., two months' imprisonment on each of the sixteen offences, the tonus to be cumitlalivo, and declared him a habitual criniinat.