PRISONER TO MARRY

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3909, 19 February 1929, Page 3

PRISONER TO MARRY

SUPREME court incident. “A CAREER OF CRIME.” An element of romance was added to a criminal trial in the Supreme Court at Auckland last Thursday, when counsel for a man who had been convicted of reieiving stolen goods asked that sentence should be deferred to enable the man to ire married. His financee is a young woman who gave evidence on his behalf. The accused was James A. VV. Fleming, aged 28 (Mr. Reed), who was charged with breaking into the workshop of George Wake Lin and stealing an overcoat, a gramophone, suitcase, and other goods valued at £ls. Other evidence was that accused had disposed of the stolen property to second-hand dealers. In the witness box accused’s ftnaneee said they were together at a theatre at the time accused was alleged to have entered the workshop. The jury found accused guilty of receiving stolen goods. At this stage Mr. Reed suggested His Honor should defer the sentencing of the prisoner until arrangements could be carried out for his marriage. Mr. Justice Blair said prisoner had pretty nearly qualified for an indeterminable sentence —in fact it was not certain that he was not actually qualified already by past sentences for theft, and breaking and entering.' It appeared that lie only came to New Zealand in 1924 or 1925, and since 1926 he had given himself up largely to a career of crime. Mr. Reed said lie was arranging that prisoner should, after serving his sentence, go to Canada, where his relatives lived.

Fleming was sentenced yesterday to twelve months’ imprisonlment.