SUPREME COURT.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1917, Page 4

SUPREME COURT.

AUCKLAND, Nov. 12th. I In his charge to the Grand Jury nt j the Supreme Court Air. Justice Hiking deplored the fact that, o! the twenty persons charged, twenty cases were of a sexual nature, three being unnatural offences, two o(fences against children and one of incest this teirihle list, he believed, was due to the absence of certainty of convictions. FTo was struck by the frequency of the excise that the culprit believed the girl | was over age. 11 is Honor suggested that ■eases against' children should he tri--1 oil summarily before three Magistrates, as during the lapse of time between the : Police Court, and the Supreme Court children were liable to iorgot the main facts of the case. Further, he sugI gested that the existing law allowing a jury to acquit a man of an offence against a girl if it were shown that lie 1 belived she was of age, should be rc- ! pealed. It had already been repealed in Great Britain. DUNEDIN Noveml.et-

In the Supreme Court Arthur William Lodgerwood was charged with the attempted murder of -• young woman, I Ruby Janet Al’Knight, and on a second count with shooting ,witli intent to do grievous bodily harm. The jury after half an hour’s retirement returned a verdicii of guilty of intentionally inflicting grievous bodily haTm and Lodgerwood was sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour..