COURT NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1928, Page 6

COURT NEWS.

ARSON CHARGES

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Nov. 9

At the Supreme Court sentences of three years’ hard labour to be followed by not less than two years’ reformative, was passed upon two ex-police-men, Thomas Francis Carroll (29) and Sydney Francis Waters (33) by Justice Smith. The prisoners were found guilty of arson, arising from the destruction of Carroll’s shop on the night of August 29th. by an explosion and lire.

Carroll who was also found guilty oi' making false declarations regarding insurance on the burned building was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment on that count to be concurrent with that on the major count. His Honor said, to attain their miserable ends, the prisoners brought about a destructive lire. Fortunately, no one suffered death from their act. It was hard-to understand the Jury’s recommendation to mercy. The only reason could be that the men had previously borne good characters. Application was lodged for the retrial of Carroll on the ground that the verdict was against the weight of evidence.

OTHER SENTENCES. AUCKLAND, Nov. 9

Augustus Henry Francis Winosky.' 42, formerly clerk to Mercer Town Board, who is also railway signalman, was admitted to probation for foeyears on a charge of theft of Town Board’s money. There bad been no falsification of books, no evidence of extravagance on the prisoner’s part, and he had considerable sickness in his family. Prisoner had suffered by loss of his position with the Pailway Department. It seems to me, said His Honour, you had not sufficient brains for the position of clerk and as a result the finance of the Board got into a state of muddle that you were unable to deal with.