SUPREME COURT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 27, 26 October 1937, Page 6

SUPREME COURT

True Bills Returned at Napier OPENING OF TRIALS True bills on all th'ree of the eharges brought before them were returned by the Grand Jury at the opening of the quarterly sessjons of the Supreme Court at Napier this morning. His Honour, Mr. Justice Ostler, commenced the hearing of the first of the three trials, which is expected to last until to-morrow. The crimipal trials will last until Thursday, divorce petitious being set down for Thursday afternoon, and a civil claim for Friday. Mr. Justice Ostler will leave for Gisborne on Monday to commence the sessions there, returning to complete the Napier sessions probably on Monday week. The following Grand Jury was empanelled: Messrs M. S. Spence (foreman), H. W. Thompson, E. B. Dale, B. T. Dinwiddie, J. W. Norrie, L. Clarke, ,T. H. Commins, V. W. Cox, G. C. Thornton, D. A. Evans, E E. Marsden, J. A. Burtenshaw, L. G. Donovan, C.'D. Anderson, H. E. K. Bourgeois, J. M. Bruce, R J. M. Chadwick, C. S. Geddis, S. P fclpiller, G. Everett, E. C. Hall, E. "W. Iiloyd, and R. J. G. Madigan. His Honour reviewed the three cases for criminal trial at the sittiugs, commenting that none of them would offer any great difficulty. The first case was a charge against a Maori named Geraid James, who was eharged with neglv gent driving causing the death of Moananui Tareha — the result of an accident near Greenmeadows on June 27. There was no suggestion that he was drunk or anything of the sort, but the suggestion was that he was driving at such a speed that he could not negotiate the bend in the road. In regard to eharges of contracting debts in the knowledge that they could not be met, and of failing to keep proper books, preferred against a caterer, William James Hyde, tho Judge said, "Hyde is a bankrupt^ and with two other partners, he apparently obtained contracts to provide board for the occupants of the Public Works camps on the road north of Napier. I think he got £1 a week for each man he boarded. "At the end of July he owed money to his creditors amounting to £576 which he could not Pay> at the end of August £1024, of September £1275, of October £1475, an-d on November 2 he duly declared bankrupt. "All the time he was going on merrily obtaining these goods on credit from commercial merchants in Napier, when hc must have known thar he could never find the money to pay." John William , McClure was eharged with escaping from custody at Wairoa and breaking and entering into Swifts' (N.Z.) Ltd. there. When apprehended he had made a statement to the police admitting the crime, but now, for some reason was pleading not guilty. True bills were returned by the jury • in all cases.