PENALTY OF CRIME

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 70, 19 September 1930, Page 11

PENALTY OF CRIME

VARIETY OF OFFENCES

SENTENCES OF THE COURT

Prisoners who had pleaded guilty in the Lower Court to various criminal offences were sentenced in the Supreme Court this morning by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers). i ,

Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl at Ohakuna was tho charge to which Theodore Charles Bankart, aged-20, had pleaded guilty. For the prisoner Mr. A. J. Mazengarb said that the girl had since become Bankart's wife. It was probable that had he elected to plead not guilty he would not have been convicted on the evidence.

His Honour observed that the Probation Officer's report showed that the girl's weight was list, and that she had the appearance o£ a girl of between 18 and 19 years of age. Mr. Mazengarb said that Bankavt married the girl with the consent of her parents, the arrangements for the marriage being made bofore the matter came into the hands of. the police. Bankart was a first offender, and had a character for industry and sobriety. ' Mr. C. .Evans-Scott, representing the Crown, said he thought it was a proper case for probation. His Honour said he did net think the ends of justice required that Bankart should be sent to prison. He was placed on probation for twelve months, and was ordered to pay the costs o£ the prosecution,' £4 19s 6d, within two months. "A VERY MEAN THING." "This is the first time we've ever been in trouble, and we ask you to treat us as leniently as you can. We promise you that if you do. it.will not be wasted upon us," said Richard Hope I'enn, fireman, aged 2S, on behalf of himself and James M'Tavish, labourer, aged 27; • They had admitted three charges of _ breaking and entering and theft at Wellington. "Apparently both of yon," said his Honour, "are already, undergoing one sentence of twelve months' hard, labour on 'a charge of theft. .. . These offences are of a particularly mean, character.. The theft of the property of nurses was a very mean thing, apart from the breaking and entering." . . Each of the accused was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent, but to be served at -the expiration of the sentence : they , are at present undergoing; ■••■•': FORGERY AND UTTERING. Leslie Charles Ling, aged 31, had nothing to say in respect of a charge of forgery and uttering and eight charges of forgery to which he had pleaded guilty. _ The offences were committed at Blenheim. He was sentenced to be imprisoned for two years with hard labour. •, v ' .-; PERJURY CHARGE. The charge o£ perjury which Edward Martin, aged 28, had admitted, was not regarded by. his Honour. as a ... serious . offence oE its kind.;. Mr. P. Jackson appeared for the prisoner. ■ , Counsel said he doubted whether Martin at the time the offence was committed realised the seriousness of what he was doing. ' . i His Honour: "He was living with a woman, and with his curious mentality he seems to have thought that .he was justified in believing or saying that he was married to her. He made that statement in proceedings in the lower Court. . .-. It might also be that; the" prisoner' had in mind the shielding of the woman." His Honour said he thought-he was justified in adopting the recommendation of the Probation' Officer and granting probation. The charge, of course, was a serious one, and was not the kind for which he lightly granted probation; and he granted it in this case with some hesitation. Martin was admitted to two years' probation, and was ordered to pay costs, £1 ,Is,.within; two months., "DOWN AND OUT." The fact that he was "down and but," said William Victor Haslam, had led him to commit the ofieuce of breaking and entering at Palmerston North. It was an act of absolute desperation/ he said. -The prisoner admitted to his Honour that lie was convicted of theft in April, 1927, and sentenced to 14 days imprisonment, and that in May, 1927, he was convicted, of breaking and entering and theft, aud committed for three years to Borstal. "It would . appear, then/ .said Ins Honour, "that thaf. period ; .of discipline has not'been sufficient, and you will have to have some further discipline. 1 propose to do it in the form of reformative detention rather than send you to prison. Haslam was sentenced to 18 months detention for reformative purposes.