PRISONER’S ESCAPE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 289, 4 September 1942, Page 2

PRISONER’S ESCAPE

Court Accepts Plea (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 3.

The prisoner, Clifford Douglas Keane, who escaped from custody immediately he bad been senteneed iu the Supreme Court recently to five years’ imprisonment, appeared today before Mr. Justice Fair for sentence and pleaded for a realization of the fact that he acted on Impulse when suffffering from a feeling of grievance concerning the long sentence. He said that to get everything cleaned up in order to make a clean start after serving his sentence he had fully eonfeseed offences of which the police had no proof. ‘‘l got a terrible- shock, specially when T sqw my wife was iu such a state,” he added. “I am pleased I didn’t get away ns I realize that it would have meant further trouble.”

Replying to the judge, Mr. Cleal, for the Crown, said it w.as possible that some of the offences might not have been traced if prisoner bad not confessed. . Mr. Justice Fair expressed the conviction that the escape was made on impulse ns stated by Keane. In the circumstances the Court, did not propose to declare him an habitual criminal or increase the sentence. lie would be sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment concurrent with the sentences already imposed.