IN THE COURTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11130, 13 February 1930, Page 2

IN THE COURTS.

.SEVEN YEARS’ GAOL. WOMAN'S REVOLTING CREME NARROWLY ESCAPED -MURDER CHARGE. tPress Association.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 12. At the Supreme Court to-day Mr. -Justice Herd mini sentenced Maud Herbert. 40. for unlawfully using an instrument to seven years’ imprisonment. The judge said that but for the fact that some members oi the grand jury were apparently unable to take a correct view of the statutory limitations of their legal duties, Mrs. Herbert would have .stood her trial for murder. He had no doubt that the prisoner was directly re. sponsible for the young woman’s death. Never before in his career had he listened to a story mj ■ Pocking and utterly revolting.

D.EP.ERATE VOUTHFUL CREUINALS. SHOT MAN. AND SET PLACES A KIR E. (Press Association.! C HRISTCHt ui-11, Feb. 12. In expectation of Charles • Robert Gray and James Wilfred Gray being sentenced the Supreme Court was crowded. Those who attended heard a long address by the young iron's counsel, but Mr. Justice Adams said he wished to consider carefully all that Mr Burns had said, and ho would not pass sentence until Frida v.

Mr. Burns gave most of his time and attention to Charles Robert Gray, the young brother who shot Mr. E. If. lla mmoud, and whom Mr. Burns described as the ringleader .in “this extraordinary senes of crimes.”

Counsel added that the judge would appreciate that it was very difficult for counsel to say anything whatever in mitigation in face ol the large number of crimes Uubrothers had commit led. but it v, as very important that everything connected with the young men ;hul their crimes should be placed before the court. The family was in poor circumstances, as the father could not got regular work. Counsol appealed for leniency on the grounds of the youth ol the prisoners, and urged that both be declared habitual criminals, as they then would he under the control of the Prisons Board. i

JUST ESCAPED FLOGGING. SEVEN YEARS FOB SEXUAL PERVERT. tProst Association-) AUCKLAND, Fob. 12. Sydney Herbert ; Norman,, for. indecent assault oil ,a male ..and one on :a female, received seven years-' hard labor at the Supreme Court to-day. The judge safd he could order the prisoner to be flogged, and perhaps lie. should do so but for the fact that ho suspected that the prisoner might bo mentally unbalanced. PRI SON ERS SENTENCED. . — . • CProß* Association.) AUCKLAND., Feb. 12. In the Supremo Court, prisoners were sentenced by Mr. Justice Smith as follows; , Charles Mozart •Spinley,. for bigamy and making a false declaration.; two, years,’, hard labor; James Anthony Lynch, receiving stolen goods, 18 months’ reformative detention: Edward; Richard lack, theft, two counts, and attempted theft. . three years’ hard labor; David Todd, theft, two years’ hard labor; Claude Paget, -theft,

one year s hard labor. Todd and Paget were associated with. Llack in one theft.

Derek Norman Moore-Wright, for negligent driving, causing cn.ath. was fined £IOO, and his motorist’.license cancelled .for three years. Thomas Leonard Williams, for theft and false pretences, received two years' probation. Frederick Dixon, for breaking and entering and theft, received. 18 months’ hard labor: David Barry, theft, forgery and false pretences,- three years’ Borstal detention ; David Henry Mehafrey. theft of a cow. two years’ reformative detention : Sydney Charles Marshall, indecent assault on a female, two years’ Borstal detention: Allan Alex, auder Cuthbertson, indecent assault on a child, two years’, reformative detention.