SUPREME COURT SITTINGS, Friday, September 1, 1848. Before Mr. Justice Chapman.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 323, 2 September 1848, Page 2

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS, Friday, September 1, 1848. Before Mr. Justice Chapman.

A Sitting of the Supreme Court was held yesterday for the despatch of criminal business . — The following gentlemen were sworn in of the Grand Jury : — Col. Wakefield, J.P. Foreman ; Major Baker, J.P. ; Messrs. W. M. Bannatyne, K. Bethune, W. Fitzherbert, J.P., W. Hickson, J.P., G. Hunter, A. Hort, J.P., J. Johnson, J. Kelham, J.P., N. Levin, A. M'Donald, J.P., R. Park, R. Stokes, R. Waitt, and J. Wallace. There were only two bills sent in to the Grand Jury ; one for robbery, by four soldiers of the 65th regiment, committed in April ; the other for rape, alleged to have been committed in February by one of the Armed Police on a native woman living at Waikanae ; the latter bill was ignored. Patrick Brannigan, Michael Morisay, John Kitchen, and John Callagan, privates in the 65th regiment, were indicted for having robbed John Jones on the Bth of April of one five pound note and two sovereigns. From the evidence it appeared that the prosecutor had been drinking at the house of Frances Fennel at Thorndon on the day in question in company with four "soldiers, who had set upon him and beat him, and robbed him of bis money. The evidence was conclusive against Patrick Brannigan and Michael Morisay who were sentenced to two years imprisonment and hard labour, the last month in each year to Ibe spent in solitary confinement ; the other two prisoners were acquitted.