SUPREME COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1926, Page 1

SUPREME COURT

[ U Y TELEGIIAI-U —I’l'.R IMIESS association.] HAMILTON. June 8. The criminal sessions of the Hamilton Supreme Court opened to-day, Mr Justice Ilcrdnian, iq his charge to the Grand .Jury, said it was gratifying to announce that the criminal calendar iv.i.s very small. Never since lie had presided over the Court at Hamilton had the list of cases been lighter. This sp ke well for the behaviour of the Waikato district, and the people were entitled to he congratulated upon a oomparat ivo abscnc/) of serious crime. There were four cases for trial, and only one case was an offence alleged to he of a grave nature. A young man, .Tack Thompson, who pleaded guilty to breaking and entering at Otorohanga, and to theft of £9, was admitted to probation for two years. A middle-aged man, William. Johnson, of Ngn run wall ia, was found guilty of forging and uttering a cheque for £1560, and with attempting to obtain a quantity of clothing from a To Awnmutii merchant and the balance in change. Senton'oe was postponed. BTJvXTT'F.TM, June 8. At the Supreme Court, William Cooke, who pleaded guilty in the Lower Court to charges of forgery and uttering, was sentenced to reformative treatment not exceeding one year. Ernest Thomas Reid pleaded guilty on a charge of making a false declaration under the Marriage Act. He was admitted to probation for one year. WELLINGTON, .Time 8.

Mr Justice Reed, sentenced Wm. B. Rogers, aged 25, a married man, who pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a young girl, to five years’ bard labour and three years’ reformative treatment thereafter, together with a flogging of ten strokes. The circumstances were most revolting. A sentence of eighteen months was imposed on Leslie Knott, aged 32, who' pleaded guilty to deserting bis wife and child in Australia and to going through a bigamous marriage at Auckland.