PRISONER FAINTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 47, 18 November 1937, Page 6

PRISONER FAINTS

-Presa AsBOciation.)

. i - - ■ ■ ' Collapsein Dock on Hearing Sentence THEFT OF CATTLE

(By Telegraph-

BLENHEIM, TMs Day. A prisoner crashed from tlie dock unconscious when he keard the sentence of six months imprisonment passed on "him "by Mr Justice Northcrof t in the Stapxeme Court tMs morning. This tense incident marked tke passing of sentence on Leonard Alma Turner, aged 33, farmer- of Tinline Valley, Pelorus distrlct, who was faund guilty yesterday aficmoon of tlie tkeft tliree "heao of cattle at Tinline on March 1. ^ "FTia eonviction followed tke failure of tke jury to agree at previous ses* sions. . Wher. Mr Justice Nortkcroft said ko would take into consideration tke pristner's youth and tke jury's stxong xeeommendation of mexcy and tken passed sentence of six montks' kaxd labour, Turner, who was foxmexly amaieur. middleweight boxing ckampion of New Zealand, suddenly collapsed in tke dock and fell hackwards, stxiking tko iioor heavily before tke attendant and constables xealised tkat ke kad fainted. Tke pxisorex was caxried unconscioas from tke O ut and xeceived attention from a dotlor wko kappened to ke pxesent in connection witk anotker rase. Tuxnex xecovered skoxtly afterwardv Befoxe tke Judge pxonounced sentence, ke fefexxed to tke seriousness of tMs, type of offence on account of tke fact tkat it was so difficult to doteet and because it was a eiime tkat tended to destxoy tke goodwill and trust wMck were so necessaxy among tke settlexs in. tke distxict. Tke case was first keaxd at tke lastsessions of tke Supreme Conxt.at Blenkeim, wken tke jury failed to agree, an^yesterday tke juxy delibexated fxom 11.50 a.m. till, 4.45 p.m. They made a stxong lecommendation fox mexcy, "in vie'w of tke laxity skown in tke distxict in xegaxd to tko eannaxking and kxanding of stock" "We recommend," tkey 'stated, "tkat * system skould ke adopted making tko anarking of cattle compuisory." # 7—^— — **—