ATTEMPTED INDECENT ASSAULT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3770, 3 September 1907, Page 3

ATTEMPTED INDECENT ASSAULT.

Olsen’s Sentence. John Olson, found guilty at Wanganui of an attempted indecent assault on a woman, was brought up for sentence on Friday. His Honor, addressing prisoner, said : Your case has given me a great deal of anxiety and consideration. You are a young man, only 26 years of age, a foreigner, and with few friends here. I have seen that j r ou had every consideration shown to you during your trial, and the jury have come to the conclusion that you were guilty of a very serious crime. The circumstances of the assault might have resulted very seriously for the woman and lost her her character through, your action. There is every probability of your living a long life, and if you behave yourself you may redeem your character and make for yourself a comfortable position in the world, but all will depend on your abstaining from the habit that has taken a hold of you. During the short time you have been in Wanganui you drank heavily, and the sudden temptation which came upon you, for you are not a confirmed criminal, was inflamed by drink. His Honour then referred to two inferences which he drew from the evidence in regard to accused calling for his boots at the place where the assault took place a few minutes after the offence. One was that prisoner was not too much under the influence of drink to know that he was doing wrong, as shown by his running away when the husband returned, and the other that his returning for his boots, though opposed to the first[inference, showed that he did not tally comprehend the seriousness of the act. Continuing, his Honor said: You are liable to ten years’ with hard labour, and three floggings at different periods. I am going to deal leniently with you, in a way that will show the heinousness of your offence, and act as a deterrent to others. I do not believe in long terms of imprisonment, and in your case will make the term of imprisonment short, but will add something to make it sharp. Drink has brought about your present trouble. “ Oh, that men should put an enemy into their mouths, to steal away their brains.” The fact that you took drink deprived you of the senses that you would have. I sentence you to imprisonment in the Wanganui Gaol for two years, with hard labour, and direct that during that time you receive one flogging of 25 lashes with the instrument known as the cat.