SUPREME COURT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 18 November 1927, Page 6

SUPREME COURT

CHARGE OF SHEEP-STEALING.

TIKOKINO FARMER SENTENCED

A sitting of the Supreme Court was held in Napier this. morning when Harold Thomas Addis, a sheepfarmer, of Tikokino, appeared before His Honour Mr. Justice McGregor for sentence, having pleaded guilty to a charge of sheep-stealing.

On behalf of the accused Mr. G. C. Harker stated that the case was an unfortunate one. Addis had a wife and five children. He was 32 years of age. He served 4} years abroad and was wounded twice. The circumstances were not normal. He stole the sheep in a reckless manner which might he attributed to the recklessness inculcated by his having served so long at the war. In passing sentence His Honour stated that it certainly was a =ad case. When first charged he gave no information but later admitted the theft. His Honour was afraid that from the police report, the case was not an isolated one as there were complaints since 1924. He could ->ot allow the war record of the prisoner to take precedence, as sheep-stealing was too common ; it was also hard to detect. “The law provides a penalty up to 14 years’ imprisonment with hard labour and the prisoner will be sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour.”