SUPREME COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1930, Page 5

SUPREME COURT

GRAY BROTHERS SENTENCED

(Bv Telegraph—Press Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 14

Prisoners sentenced in.hided Charles Robert Gray, attempted murder, arson and burglary to ten years hard labour.

James Wilfred Gray, arson and burglary, to seven years hard labour. Both wo,.re declared habitual criminals.

SENTENCING THE GRAYS.

JUDGE’S REMARKS

CHRISTCHURCH, February 14

In, the Gray case, Judge Adams said the prisoner Charles Robert Gray was charged with J'ames Wilfred Gray. There are no fewer than seventeen convictions of arson, seven of breaking and entering and theft, three of attempted arson, three of breaking with theft, and one of breaking and entering with intent in which both prisoner's are involved. Charles Robert Gray is convicted in addition to these offences of attempted murder, of one ease of arson, four eases of breaking and entering with theft, two eases of on airing and entering with intent, jne iase of mischief, namely damage to a inuv.r ear. The total list of crimes in resoeet to which Charles Robert Gray has to be dealt with this morning, is fortytwo. The long list of serious crimes in about six months demonstrate that each prisoner although young in years, is in fact a precocious criminal of the most dangerous class. Their wanton destruction of property, has resulted in a loss to the Insurance Companies and to owners in Christchurch, estimated at no less than £50,000.

“Both have shown a callous disregard of human life by the attempt to set fire to St. Lukes School room, an old wooden building very easily destroyed by fire, when a social was- being held in the upper rooms. Tif they had been successful, one shuders to think what the possbilities might be.

Charles Robert Gray showed the same callousness by shooting Mr-Ham-mond. By great, good . fortune the bullet did not penetrate sufficiently far, but the act indicates the extreme., gravity of what was done when it is realised that the Jiullet stopped in its pasage only when it was >fin inelU from Mr Hnmmond’s heart. f , Only his*.ex* treme youth probably saves him from life imprisonment.

cockburn; sentenced

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 14

At the Supreme Court, Robert Cockburn known as “The Safe Blower,” on 13 charges of breaking and entering at Greymouth, Christchurch and Dunedin, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and declared ,an habitual criminal.

Judge Adams said the prisoner arrived in New Zealand in 1926 and worked for a time on the West Coast as a miner. He had shown himself an expert at safe breaking and theft. His record was one of unusual skill and activity. It was necessary to deal with him in an exemplary way.