A NAPIER DEFAULTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1837, 18 August 1906, Page 3

A NAPIER DEFAULTER.

TIiliSS ASSOCIATION

Wellington, Inst night. At the Supremo Court to day (leorgo I White, of Napier, who had been couvictrd on eight charges of forgery, two of t lie ft, two of falso proiooces, an! one of m iking a falso declaration, had nothing to say ; but ho handed to tiro Bench a written statement aecompar-Dd by written testimonials. Tho ftatoment set out that aconst-d was brought up in N-rpior, nnd had hitherto had au honorahlo cireor, but

years ago ho beenma involvod in a country storo business through guaranteeing others, und lust over LHOO. This and other losses led to his breaming involvod with money lenders, nnd 1 o became further nnd further involved until in a

moment of madness he beg in using trust money. Other misfortunes followed, everything went wrong, and bo was mado bankrupt. All the money token wa9 used in prisoner’s business, aud nens of it was squandered io luxurious living. Ho had boon neither a drunkrrd nor a gaeub'er, Ho bad had no mtentio ■ to defraud anybody. Ho intended to serve his term of imprisonment bravely for Iho sflee of bis family, and aftor providing for thoir support (wlio i ho oamo out of prisvr) be would endeavorto repay thrse who had lost rnonoy through him. Ho did not lay these facts bsfoio Ltis Honor with tbe idea of excusing bis guilt. Ho wns guilty, a-d doserv d punithmor.t, and d d not exp. ct probation ; but ho ventured, for the soke tl. J * _ l : . I r T . T--^

of those dear to him, to ask His Honor to deal with him leniently. HL ctimcß had already brought heavy puoi bment on him in tho less of his previous good name, 'he breakup of a hippy home, and tho loss of a business worth £7OO a year n t. Adder ssing p:isoner, tho Chief Justico svid th it wbi’o ho had very h-gh testimnnrals as to f-hirao'nr, tbo transactions

which led to lis sinning intbo d ock wer j various, and extended over long periods it was very likely that having got into trouble ho tried to get rid of the existing trouble by doing something wrong”. Evidently this had gone on and on and defalcations had increased as they generally did. Considering the large .amount of money involved, His Honor could not pass a light .sentence, for to do so might encourage other people to similarly offend. At the same time His Honor would take regard loprisonct's previous good character, and would pass what otherwise would amount to a light sentence. On the charges of forgerv he would be sentenced to concurrent terms oi two and a half years' imprison . nici l l, and on the other charges concurrent sentences of two years’ imprisonment All the sentences would rim concurrently.