SUPREME COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1917, Page 4

SUPREME COURT, GREYMOUTH.

Yesterday before his Honor Justice Sim two prisoners came up for sentence and were'dealt with as follows:

THEFT. Thomas George AY alter Bateman, who pleaded guilty in the lower Court to the theft of moneys while employed in the Government service as a stationmastcr at Ikamatua appeared for sentence. Air. Joyce, who appeared for the accused asked that the provisions of the. Pi,-st Offenders Probationers’ Clause he extended to him. lie had been employed in tin- railway service until January of 1911 V. He had entered as a cadet eighteen years* before, and had risen through the various grades until be became a stationmastcr. He was sta- j tionmaster for six years. Tie was 21 • years at Totara Flat and 31 years at; Ikamatua. where be was when he was ’ dismissed from the railway service. His conduct up till then had been excm- j phuy. - I His Honor said that, looking into all i the circumstances of the case, be thought that it was one to which the provisions of the First Offenders* Pro-! bation Act might bp extended, altliongh j the Probation Officer laid not recom- j mended probation hut he assigned no reasons. The accused had shown by Ids conduct since his dismissal that ho de-1 sired to lead a respectable life. It was eighteen months since ho was dismissed from the railway service and he had shown that lie desired to live in an honest way. He would be placed on probation for a period of three years and be ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution, .£(> 12s Bd, refund the £7O still in arrears, refrain from betting, gambling, and alcoholic liquors. • FALSE DECLARATION.

’AA'altor Herbert Merrick who pleaded guilty to making a false declaration of birth, " appeared for sentence. Mr. Murdoch, who appeared for accused said that the latter was a man of 33 years of age, and came in the First Division. ITe had originally lived on tlic AVest Const, but had gone to the North Island for many years, and had lost touch with people on tho AA’est Coast ITc had enlisted at Dargarville in 1914 when the war broke out, and had now been called up in the tenth ballot. 'Tho mother of the child was the wife of a soldier but accused did not know this. He had accepted a position on a small farm where the woman was employed. -She was a complete stranger to him. When she got into trouble they had gone to Riiaiapu where'the child was born. His sole desire was to shield the woman. Ho had pleaded guilty in the lower court and had put tho State to no expense. In fact, it was accused’s enquiries that led to tho prosecution,

His Honor said that accused had blundered into the offence without any knowledge that he was breaking tho Haw. His sole desire was to conceal the fact that the woman was not his wife. He had nothing else to gain by. his action. Accused would he lined £2 10s.

Tho Court then adjourned till next dnv.