SUPREME COURT-CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 6725, 6 October 1885, Page 4

SUPREME COURT-CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

Monday, Octobek 5. (Before Mr Justice Williams.) HOUSEBREAKING AND STEALING. Johi Qillison was charged with breaking into the house of Mahala Cuthbertson in Stuart street, Dunedin, and stealing therefrom a cash-box containing L 7 10s and also a watch aud chain and two lockets. After the taking of evidence in this case had been concluded, Mr Favnie addressed the jury for the defence, commenting upon the various points of the evidence, and submitting that tho witnesses called for the defence clearly proved that the person accused was not guilty. Mr Haggitt, in addressing the jury for the Crown, suggested, as explaining the evidence for the defence, that the prisoner might, having got permission to lie on the bench in the Gasworks, have left his coat, waistcoat, and hat on the bench while he committed the robbery, and thus have misled the witnesses who had given evidence on his behalf. His Honor having summed up, the jury retired to consider their verdict at six o'clock, aud in fifteen minutes returned a verdict of "Not guilty." The prisoner was then discharged. FALSE PRETENCES. James Joseph O'Connor (aged 27) pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining money by false pretences. In reply to His Honor, Mr Haggitt stated that the prisoner had previously been convicted of forgery. His Honor, in passing sentence, said: You seem, prisoner, to have commenced committing offences immediately you came to the Colony. You were convicted _of forgery last year, and sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, and very Bhortly after getting out of gaol you go about obtaining small sums of money by false pretences, so that I cannot treat this as a first offence. The sentence of the Court, on each indictment, is that you be imprisoned in the common gaol at Dunedin for the term of two years, and kept to hard labor, the sentences to be concurrent.