CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 160, 22 January 1867, Page 3

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

(Abridged from the West Coast Times.) (Before his Honor Mr Justice Gresson.) Friday,Jaxuary 18. His Honor took his seat on the bench jit 10 o'clock. Mr Duncan, Crown Prosecutor, made application to the judge that, in the cases "Wilson alias Murray and Carr, the approver Sullivan, who was in custody, might be permitted to £O before the Qrand Jury for examination, as he, Mr Duncan, after reading the depositions taken before the Resident Magistrate, looked upon the evidence of Sullivan as essentially the case for the prosecution. His Honor said that he thought the application of ths Crown Prosecutor might be complied with in these cases ; the request was therefore granted. TRUE BILLS. The Grand Jury were ii^ attendance at . 11 o'clock, and found the following true bills :—J. S. Bsach, obtaining money under false pretences ; Patrick Downes, escape from gaol; Charles John Noble, obtaining goods under false pretences; William DeLacy, conspiring to rob ; John Acheson Carr, larceny in a dwellinghouse ; Daniel O'Brien, larceny. NO TRUE Bill,. In the case against William Bobe;tsnn, for embezzlement, the Grand Jury found no true bill, and the prisoner was discharged from custody. The Foreman of the jury intimated to his Honor that they had got partly through the case of James Wilson alias Murray, indicted for wilful murder and, owing to the rising of the court his Honor excused the Grand Jury from further attendance until 11 o'clock this (Saturday) morning, FALSE PRETENCES. Samuel Syunns was placed in the dock, charged with obtaining money and goods, on the 9th August last, from Andrew Thredgold at Greymouth, under false pretences. The Grown Prosecutor declined to offer any evidence in this case, and the prisoner was therefore formally acquitted. Mr Duncan informed the judge that there wasa third charge againstSymms, but that he did not intend to send the bill before the Grand Jury. The prisoner was therefore liberated. ROBBERY FROM THE PERSON. Margaret Anderson, aged 30, was indicted for stealing a purse containing L4l Is from the person of a miner named Thomas Smith. The prisoner appeared in the dock with n child in h'jr arms, and was defended by Mr Button and Mr South. The prisoner was found guilty, and to 12 months' imprisonment labor. LARCENY FROM A DWELLING. William Hill, a miner, was placed in the dock, charged with stealing about Doozs. of gold and a pair of scissors from the dwellirg house of Frederick Dale, a storekeeper, at Kanieri Mr Rees (of Messrs Button and Rees) defended the prisoner. After the charge had been fully passed, Mr Rees then addressed the Court on behalf of the prisoner, and urged upon the jury that his client had no felonious intent when he took the bag of gold, but had done so while in a state of drunkenness. Of course he was aware that drunkenness was no excuse for crime, but rather adds to the offence in the eyes of the law, "but 'he thought it was quite evident that the prisoner had no intention of committing a felony, or he would not have run all round town showing the property he had stolen, but would have concealed it. He had already suffered one month's imprisonment for his folly, and he (Mr Rees) hoped the jury would, considering the circumstances of the case, look upon that as sufficient punishment. The jury, after a brief absence, returned a verdict of not guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. The Crown Prosecutor asked his Honor whether the gold dust was to be given up to the prosecutor Dale. His Honor said that notwithstanding the verdict, he considered the evidence was sufficient to justify the property behig restored to the prosecutor. His Honor, re-addressing the jury, said I must say I cannot understand your verdict, genslemen, as according to such a decision drunkenness seems to be an excuse for every crime.