SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 105, 28 January 1920, Page 3

SUPREME COURT

CRIMINALS PUNISHED

DRUNKENNESS NO EXCUSE FOR CRIME

His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards presided at the Supreme Court yesterday morning, and passed sentence on seven prisoner* who had pleaded guilty in Magistrates'.Courts-to having'committed various offences. . A young man named Louis Haroid Gill, who had • plciulcd guilty at Nelson to committing forgery, was the first to appear in the dock.. In reply to the question, as to whether he had , anything to sav, the prisoner replied that he was very sorry. His Honour, in sentencing him, said that the Probation Officer's report stated that the prisoner was under 20 years of age, and that he had a weak mind. "You roust get a strong mind in future," remarked His Honour, "at anv rate, strong enougih to abstain from crime. This will be your last chance, for if you come up again you will be sent to prison/' .Prisoner was placed on probation for a period of twelve months ou the usual terms, and was.ordered to pay the costs, S.l 15s. 10d., by instalments. A BAD RECORD. Alfred Ireson had pleaded guilty to committing theft at Tnihape on January 5. The prisoner had a long list of previous convictions, and His Honour remarked that 'the record was a very bad one, for it showed that accused was not addicted to one particular class of crime. Tho prisoner had been convicted of vagrancy, and that meant that he was of an idle disposition and a menace to society, and that he was unfitted to be at large. Continuing, His Honour said: "You say in your statement that you were drunk, but I cannot accept that as an excuse. Drunkenness is a voluntary act, and you need not get drunk." Ireson was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, to be followed by three years of reformative treatment. BREAKING AND ENTERING. A Maori boy named Joseph "Wilson and a white lad named James Boyce, who had pleaded guilty at Palmerston North to breaking and entering and theft, were the next to be put forward for sentence. The Maori lad admitted being convicted of a number of offences, and was first pent rn Wernron Training Farm and returned to that institution on two or (Hiroc occasions. His Honour said: "You will not go back to Wcraroa, now; tlia only 'hope for you is that you l>e sent where you will be looked after and kept, under discipline." Boyce had also been at AVcraroa, and was described by the manager as a very bad.hoy, but His Honour declined to bike notice of that. Both lads were sentenced to two years' reformative treatment. /

■ THEFT AT AVANGANUI. A married man named John Alfred Shirley plea<ln:l guilty to having committed theft at AVanganui. The prisoner asked for probation, but His Honour said that lie could not accede to that request, because the prisoner Md been previously convicted of an offence. His Honour said: "I will send you to the Prisons Board, who will let you nut as soon as the members are convinced that they can reasonably do so. The Prisons Board is comjiosed of ihighly benevolent gentlemen, presided over Vy the Chief Justice, and they 'will grant you probation when they think fit." Shirley was sentenced to two years' reformative treatment. THEFT AT PALMERSTON NORTH. A middle-aged man named Arthur Doughty, who began his criminal career in 1896,' was the next,to appear in'tho dock. Doughty had pleaded guilty at Palmerston North to committing 'theft. Doughty, also put forward the excuse of drunkenness, and His Honour told the prisoner, as ho.did aomcof the others, that.drunkenness was no excuse. "Crime is crime, and the condition of. mind whe/i the crime was committed was duo to your own act." Doughty was' sentenced <to twelve mouths' imprisonment, to be followed by two years' reformative treatment. *

FORGERY AND UTTERING. Ernest Nicholls pleaded guilty, to at Wellington, on January 7, committing forgery, and was the last of the prisoners to bo sentenced. Nicholls forged a cheque for Jko on the National Bank, To Aro. The cheque was purported to l.iave been .signed by 31.. AVilliams, and was uttered to A. H..AVat];ins, tailor, 71 A r iviim Street. Nicholls came to New Zealand in 1802, and began his criminal career .the following year. His record wni a!very bad olio." In 1910 he was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for theft from the per..on. and in 191+ he was declared a habitual ciiminal. This prisoner also put forward ll!ie plea of drunkenness, and was told that drunkenness was no excuse at all. Nicholls was sentenced to a. year's imprisonment, and again declared a habitual criminal.