HOUSE-BREAKING RIFE.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1930, Page 6

HOUSE-BREAKING RIFE.

TWO PRISONERS SENTENCED

By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, June 9

“Housebreaking is very rife at the moment and 1 must take a serious vew of your ease,” said Mr Justice Smith in the Supreme Court this morning, in sentencing Henry James Dickman, a labourer, aged twentynine years, and John Booth Prohl, a farm hand, aged twenty years, for breaking, entering and theft at Auckland. “ You are not very old, but jvjfm have very substantial list* of convictions,” added his Honour, who enumerated each prisoner’s convictions and then s-kl : “The charges on which you now apr-'ir before the Court reI f? to housebreaking.

“Dickma’'.” continued bis Honour “vour convictions are such that I am just”''’4 : - declaring you an habitual criminal. I propose to take that course You will be sentenced to two years’ hard labour on each charge, the sentences to he consurrent. and will be declared an habitual criminal. “Prohl,” added the. Judge, “you are only twenty and you will have leniency ; but as you are at present serving a. sentence of tw-o years, you must receive such a sentence now- that will extend it. Y T ou will he sentenced to he committed to prison for the purposes of reformative detention for a term not exceeding three years, the sentence to he concurrent wit hvour present sentence.”