SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 71, 17 December 1920, Page 5

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

Two adult prisoners appeared before Mr- Justice Chapman for sentence in the Supreme Court yesterday. William Scholes had pleaded guilty in Wellington to charges of forgery and uttering. He had six previous convictions, four for forgery, one for false pretence, and one for oV.hining credit by fraud. The police stated that he "forged cheques and deceived people, and did.as little work as possible." Cases •were ponding against him Bt Christohurch. "You seem to have been leniently treated on several' occasions, and it does not seom to have done much good. You are sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment' with hard labour," said His Honour. A rather. • remarkable record of muitary\ service saved Basil Gordon John Gw'illiam, aged 21, from a ldng term of imprisonment. Prisoner had pleaded guilty/in Wellington to a charge of attempted incest. Ho had at one time been an inmate of the Weraroa Training Farm. At eighteen he attempted to enlist, ;and was rejected. He left New Zealand, and after working on various vessels for a while, he succeeded in joining the Army.' It was not long beforo he was wounded in several places, imd sent tb hospital for four months. When he. next went into the lino he was injured by a shell, and taken to the buse, where he was wounded again. He rottirned to England, nnd next saw service on the Salonika front, where ho was buried by shell-firo and severely shell-shocked.

"You have pleaded guilty to a very shocking offence," said His Honour. ' I must eeirlcnce you to a term of detention for that. Ido not intend to make it so long ft term as I should havo done, but for 1 .consideration for your service during the war. You are sentenced to twelve months' de-lention at Invcrcargill for reformative purposes."