SUPREME COURT
PRISONERS SENTENCED Dominion Special. Christchurch, December 4. Five prisoners came up tor sentence before Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court this morning. AU five cases were connected with thefts. Leonard Wright, 37 years of age,> wU< ? pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court to breaking, entering, and theft trom a house in Christchurch on November 23, was sentenced to six months’ bard labour. James Henry Dayev, 23 years of age, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for breaking, entering, and Htoit (two charges) at Christchurch, on November 3. Probation for three years and ordered to pay costs, and make restitution <>f £8 15s. within a month, was the sentence in tho ease of William Roy a postal messenger, who pleaded ginjty to the theft of a mail bag at Christchurch on December 2. “Postal offences are very serious, and there have I teen a good many lately,” said His Honour, when Mr. Amodeo asked for probation for the lad “1 have dealt with two or three cases nivseli’ lately, but I am very loath to send a young man like this to prison or to a Borstal institute. ’ “I would be glad to sand him back to Germany,” said His Honour in sentencing Rudolph Kreft, a young German, to seven years’ imprisonment tor breaking, entering, theft, and arson, at Kaiapoi. Rudolph Kreft and Albert Henrv A. Gordon were concerned in a burglary escapade at Kaiapoi on November 24, and Kreft pleaded guilty, also to arson To-day Gordon was admitted to probation for a term of two yeais, his father lieing asked to enter into a bond for ,£lOO for his good behaviour during the probation period. Mr Gresson, who appeared for Gordon said that Kreft was responsible for a good deal of the crime. His Honour: “It seems that Gordon has drifted into the very undesirable company of Kreft. who seems to have gone about the country setting nre to places and acting in an irresponsible " Jfiie Crown Prosecutor said that Kreft was not normal. The nature of the crimes showed that, but ho was responsible for his actions. He had been in Kaiapoi for about two years. "I don’t know how to speak, sir, said Kreft, when asked if he had anything tO offi y Honour said that Kreft had not been long in New Zealand, and that he would bo glad to send him back to Germany. He could lock him ’>P the rest of his life under the Act,.bit was loath to inflict such a penalty mill-
out the prisoner being represented by counsel.
The ease was adjourned while the Probation otficer (Mr. F. Rule) conferred with Kreft. "He thifilcs quite well in German,” reported Mr. Rule, “but cannot express himself in English. He did not understand every word I said to him, hut be is capable if deciding his own actions, and is responsible for them. He says that Gordon, by suggesting and talking a lot about setting fire to houses, was responsible for his committing tho offences.” ITis Honour: “I do not believe the latter part of bis story, for be is of q type distinctly different from Gordon. He will be given a substantial term of imprisonment, and the Prisons Board can investigate the case more thorouglilv later, and decide the question of repatriation.
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Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 61, 6 December 1926, Page 15
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552SUPREME COURT Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 61, 6 December 1926, Page 15
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