PRISONERS SENTENCED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 37, 7 November 1919, Page 3

PRISONERS SENTENCED

In the Supremo Court on Wednesday His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman passed sentenco on several prisoners who wero convicted on the two previous days or who had pleaded guilty. 'John Lister, who was convicted of common assault On a little girl in the Basin Reserve, was tho first to bo sentenced. Mr. T. B. Broad, who appeared for the prisoner, asked His Honour to tako into consideration tho fact that tho man had not committed any sexual offeneo, and had been convicted of common assault, and further that he had already been tlireo weelts in gaol. His Honour said that most of the offences committed by the prisoner were committed while lie was drunk, nnd men like him could not be allowed to prowl about tlio reserves to the danger of little children Lister was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour. .

George Gordon Satherley, who ras convicted of indecent assault on a girl 11 years of ago at Johnsonville, was tho next to como up for sentence. Ilis Honour said he had carefully considered what ho ought to do with tho prisoner, who was only 19 years of age. There was a suggestion that the girl was not of good character, but he gave tho prisoner credit for the fact that he had not attempted to blacken the girl's character. . His Honour said that ho mu.?t take the opportunity of letting the prisoner, as well as the public, know that apy young man who behaved as the prisoner had done must suffer imprisonment. Satherley was sentenced to two years' reformative treatment.

A HABITUAL CRIMINAL., Edwurd Myers, alias Myer Myers, who pleaded guilty to a charge of false pretences, was represented by Mr. P. J. O'Rcgan. The latter, in'pleading for the prisoner, said that the man contended that ho was under tho influence of drink when he committed the offence and the very nature of it suggested that he w.is hardly lesponsible. He forged a cheque and took it to tho bank, and the bank official marked it as valueless, and the prisoner immediately went to a shopkeeper and presented the cheque with the bank mark on it. ~He suggested that tho man should be given reformative treatment.

His Honour said there wero twentythree previous convictions npainst ih» prisoner, who began his criminal career in 1900.

Mr. Macnssey said that the police report was that tho prisoner was much addicted to drink and would not settle down to work. His Honour said that the best tliinp that could he done for the prisoner was to put him iu a definite position so that ha might no longer be a pest I" society. Myers.was sentenced to twelve months' hard labour and declared n habitual criminal. A MAORI PRISONER. Tiiri Rimene, a Maori youth, who had pleaded guilty to the theft at Wainui-o-AEata of a Dayton motor-cycle l and sidecar, whs tho last to appear in the dock. A constable front Masterlon who know the lad and his people said thai they wen> all very respectable and that the lad had borno a pond character until Ihe commission of offences recently. His Honour, addressing the prisoner. Baid: "I am going to see if I can do anything short of sending you to prison. I am going to order thai: you como hero for sentence when called upon; at anv ra'e you will present, .yourself hero at lh» next sitting of this Court. I cannot give you probation because of your previous conviction, but I can take tho course I inn taking now, and you muni, understand that so Ion? as this order hangs over you, you are practically a urisoner awaiting sentence It will no'be necessary for the police to wait until you havo committed another crime: if you do anything discreditable—drink, or not attend to your work—it will be open to tho police to bring you here to bo sentenced on this charge. You arc not a free man, but yon nro free to move about so long as you behave yourself." The prisoner then left the dock.