SENTENCES PASSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20086, 4 November 1939, Page 10

SENTENCES PASSED

WELLINGTON PRISONERS SUPREME COURT SESSION (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Prisoners were sentenced by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, in the Supreme Court yesterday. William Clifford .Berice Symonds, a spray painter labourer, aged 23, and Cyril Gordon McAlinden McKey, a motor trimmer, aged 24, for breaking, entering and theft and one charge m unlawful conversion of a motor car were sentenced to 15 months’ reronr.ative detention in each case on each of the charges, the terms to be . 'jiwurrent.

Mary Jones, a waitress, aged 31, for bigamy, was admitted to probation i,or 12 months. A medical examination of the prisoner to ascertain his mental condition generally, was ordered in the case oi Robert Cecil David Meßitchie, a labourer, a railway surfaceman, aged 22, who appeared for sentence for perjury at Stratford. The Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, said that his reason for the examination was that the probation officer, after considerable hesitation, suggested the prisoner should be granted probation. At first sight he found himself entirely unable to agree.

“I regard this case as a very serious one indeed,” said Sir Michael Myers. “It is a charge of polluting he very stream of justice. This young man went into court and gave evidence that he had seduced a girl who ,vas bringing proceedings against somebody else under the Destitute Persons Act in respect of a child. That was absolutely untrue as he now admits. According to his statement to the police he did it to help the person against whom the girl was taking proceedings for a money reward. I regard that as an offence of a most serious character, and it is not a question of punishing this young man, but a matter of. letting other young men know' and other persons, who may not be young or men, that perjury of any sort, particularly of this kind, is regarded as a most serious matter.” Meßitchie was remanded for sentence until November 14. In the case of Robert William Pengelly. a labourer, aged 25, who had pleaded guilty to unlawful carnal knowledge and who, counsel said, had a clean record until the present offence, Ilis Honour said that If the girl concerned had been of loose character,' he might have considered 'he case much more favourably, but ns it was, it was the duty of the court to protect young girls of the cnmmunitv, especially those who could not be said to be of loose morals. “Unfortunately there are n number of cases that come before the court where the girl, voting though she nvtv be. is just as blameworthy as the voting, man, very often more so,” His Honour added. “Against that type of -ml ns 1 have said more than once, the young men of the community must protected, but that is not this case. Here there is no suggestion or a <rjrl of loose morals. I do not. pronose to make the sentence a heavy nne. but it must be severe enough to let young men similarly minded know that such behaviour cannot be allowed to pass with impunity.” Sentence of eight months’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed.