CARGO PILLAGING

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1921, Page 1

CARGO PILLAGING

MR JUSTICE CHAPMAN SPEAKS OUT. Two ex-employees of the Harbour Board came up for sentence before his Honour Mr Justice Chapman al Wellington, on Thursday, on a charge of theft involving the pillage of a case of cigarettes. The prisoners were Roland John Diedge and William Harold Taylor, and each had previously borne a good character.

Mr H. E, Evans, who appeared for the accused, said that the bulk ol the stolen goods had been recovered. He asked that accused be given the benefits of last session’s Offenders’ Probation Act.

His Honour: ] don’t, think any Judge or Magistrate would apply probation to this class ofc offence—A conspiracy to pillage. Your eases are both alike. You are both men who have led respectable lives, and had good characters. .. . • The committing of these alienees and the way in which you committed them show that when it came to a question of stealing another person’s property from the wharf you parted absolutely from your consciences. It shows a grave defect in character, of which 1 have heard too much of late. It has been apparent that when the opportunity offers of stealing cargo from the wharf or a ship, some men, whose personal honour has been unblemished, seem to set aside their .consciences and regard it almost as a meritorious act to steal these things. You have good wages and regular employment, and happy families. Jt is all very well to lie sorry now. Jt seems to me tluit you are sorry for yourselves rather than your families. To my mind this is a very bad case, but J do not intend to inflict a very severe punishment on you. I would rather you should be able to return to your positions in life at an early date, but sentencing you to a term of imprisonment may have not only a reformative eflcct on yourselves, but also may be a warning to other men whose characters are that they have no scruples in stealing other people’s goods from the wharves. 1 hope it will reach these men who have a peculiar composite character that can he honest in everyday life, but recklessly dishonest when it comet to pillaging. Each of you will lie sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour.