SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 266, 4 August 1920, Page 3

SUPREME COURT

CRIMINAL SESSIONS

THREE CHARGES DISMISSED

Tho oriminal sessions of tho Supremo Oourt, presided over.by Mr. Justice Chapman, were resumed yesterday. ■ Mr, P. 8. K. Macassey appeared for tho Crown. ' Harold Venom- pleaded not guilty to a charge of wilful indecency, vtith intent to insult or offend. He was defended by Mr. R. H. Webb.

The police alleged that nccuscd committed tho offence on private property at a place where he could have been seen by a- woman in a nearby house, The Information against him was laid by a detective, who stated that he had witnessed the occurrence. : Mr. Macassey submitted that'the fact that the woman ha,ppi?ued not to notice tho act was immaterial if intent on the Dart'of the accused was established. ■ Accused denied that ho was guilty of any intentional indecency, or that he was - awaro of. the possibility of being Been. . / • \ ■ ■■ After viewing the premises the jury brought in a. verdict.of not guilty, and accused was dishcarged. V ■ A BAG OF SUGAR. Arthur Joseph Langham was charged, with having, on May 9, broken and entered the warehouse of the Empire Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and stolen therefrom goods to the value of £33 10s. He pleaded not guilty. Mr. A. B. Sievwright defended. 'Mr. Macassey said . that accused .was believed to be one of three men who, with a cart; visited the warehouse on bunday, May 9, and took away a varied assortment of- goods. • For some three months prior to May 9 accused had been in the employ of tho Empiro Manufacturing Co., and ho had keys with which to gain admission to tho warehouse. A. search.of accused's/houso led to tho finding of a bag of sugar, which would be identified •ao the property of the company- Langham's explanation to the police was that -ho had bought the sugar from an' expressman whom bo did not know. ' i. . . ■ ■ _ ' Alfreda Bergh. a witness for the Crown, said that she had seen three men vißit tho warehouse with a cart, She could not, however, identify tho accused as one of the three. ' Tho defence was that there was r» evidence to show that accused, was one or the persons seen in- the Warehouse on the date in question,.and. without leaving the box, the jury brought in a verdict , pf. not guilty. Accused was discharged. '.'.'' HELPING A SAILOR. Samuel M'Donald (Mri A. B. SieVwright) pleaded not guilty to a charge cf stealing eight ladies' singlets, the property.-of Messrs. Abbott, Oram and Co.; 19 ladies overcoats, the property of some one unknown; and receiving the goods, knowing them-to have been stolen, 'the value of the goods was £78. ■ ■ ■'. . , . For the prosecution it was contended, that thß Toods were nilla?ed fsom the cargo of the ste'nmer Port Nicholson. -Mr. Macasßey said that seventeen of the overcoats were sold by the r ££? I B ,S*' t( L d t second-hand dealer named. Phillipß. and that at.the time the transaction tool; place he. was accompanied by the men who stole them from the hold of the Port ■ The def'enco was that accused-had no knowledge that .the goods. were dishonestly obtained, and that lie 'had merely sought to'help a sailor, whom he had met in a hotel, ■by introducing him to tut second-hand dealer. Without leaving the box .the Jury brought in a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged.