PRISONER SENTENCED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 57, 1 December 1919, Page 5

PRISONER SENTENCED

DRAPER BEFORE THE COURT. In the Supremo Court on Saturday morning His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) passed sentence on George Parker M'Dougall, a draper, who pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court, Wellington, to Hie theft of five- rolls of calico, three pairs of eilk stockings, two quilt's, ouo roll of lontfcloth and one roll of shirting, of a total value of .Zns Bs. Gil. I'hevo wero two charges in tho indictment.

The prisoner was employed by Gcorgo and .George, drapers, Cuba Street, and the goods wero stolen from that firm. Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for M'Dougall, and before- addressing tho Court called witnesses to bear testimony to the previous good character of tho prisoner. s Thomas Forsyth, nlanager of Te Aro House, said that ho had known M'Dougall for about 17 years, when he worked under witness for about W years and left the firm to go into business on his own account. AA'itness always found M'Dougall (satisfactory in every way. AVitness was still iu touch with him, and was prepared to help him as far as possible, and ho thought that something could be done for M'Dougall. Witness attributed prisoner's lapse to drink. His Honour: I put down one-third of tho crime to drink, and during the last month or two it is, I think, quite twothirdu.

A. A. Corriean, formerly manager of tho D.T.C.. said he knew M'Dougall,while employed by tho D.I.C-, and always found him strictly honest and a very satisfactory worker.

Mr/H. F. O'Leary said that His Honour had correctly indicated the cause of tlio prisoner's downfall at this time of his life. It was ead to think that after such a good record M'Dougall should have to go into Court and confofa that he had ken guilty of thoft. But notwithstanding that he submitted although ho would not try to minimise the seriousness of an offence of this kind, that the Court ehould not send tho man to nrison. His friends had stuck to him and his wife and family clung to him. Tho lap?e was not so much due to drink as to strong temptation. ITr> had bcrai nine months with Messrs. George and George flnd hail ho Iron kimwn to be of infemperale bn.bits he would rot liavo lyvi kept in tho service of the (inn. M'Domrnll was■ perinilfcd to purchase goods for himself at 10 per cent, above enst price, and after doinj.' that for somo time ho wns tempted to secure the goods without entering them up. The whole of thi> stolen goods had boon recovered, and the buyer had been compensated, so thai; nobody lia-i suffered. Counsel _sngijesled that prisoner «lioiild bo admitted to probation on the first charge and ordered to come up for sentence on the second. >

His Honour sniil he believed that lkpior was the cause of the prisoner's downfall. Somo people, after they had done a day's work, went into a public house to drink—one sow that hnppen almost pvory day. Addressing the prisoner Ilia Honour finid: "Considering vour age (lifl) nml the number of years vou linvc been of good character, and that this crimo has been caused by alcohol, J will give you a chance." M'Doug-all \wh admitted to probation for n period of throe years <in the condition that lie refrained from taking liquor. On (lie second charge li r> was nnlnrcd to come up for sentence wboii rall"d linon.

A second prisoner was In liavi; lioen sentenced, but he wa«s put '.n Tuesday in order that further iii(|uiri"s might be 'made-