SUPREME COURT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 812, 15 February 1910, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

PALMERSTON SITTING

At the above sitting, on Saturday last, before Mr Justice Chapman and a jury of twelve, Frederick Gillett, charged on four counts of indecently assaulting three girls aged nine, ten and eleven respectively, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour. His Honour, addressing the prisoner, said that the fact that he had been a man of good character induced him to slightly mitigate the sentence, but only slightly. He had never known a case in which greater depravity had been shown. Accused had shown himself to be a man of infamous disposition, and he could only suppose that declining years had deprived him of control over himself. He should, by the fact that he was a family man, be a protector of all young children. James Choat,charged with indecent assault at Palmerston on a child of six years of age, was found guilty. His Honour said he would take a lenient view of the case as the child had suffered no physical harm. He sentenced accused to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

YESTERDAY’S SITTING. Claude Retter, charged with perjury, was sentenced to six months imprisonment. The case against Leo Boranoff charged with indecently assaulting a girl under 12 years of age, is proceeding. Charles Connor, alias Cripps, alias Watson and Walter Riley were found guilty of theft and receiving respectively and will be sentenced to-day.