SUPREME COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4925, 5 January 1877, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. (Before his Honor the Chief Justice.) Thursday, January 4. His Honor took his seat at 10 o'clock. SENTENCE. Eodolph Laurent (who was yesterday convicted of felony) was brought up for sentence. He said nothing in hi 3 defence. His ilonor, in passing sentence, said: Prisoner at the bar, the offence' of which you have been fouu.l guilty by the jury is an offence of the j;rave-t kind known to the law. The sentence which it is in the power of the Court to inflict upon you, is penal servitude for life, with three whippings of fifty lashes each. In most of the neighboring colonies, if not in all of them, sentences for this offence are very severe ; and the intention of the Legislature here i 3 shown to be thatsuch cases must be dealt witb very severely. The offence has been frequent in this colony of late, and I have fount it necessary to impose severe sentences on the offenders. It is to be feared, however repugnant it may be, not only to the Judges of the Court, but to public feeling, to inflict the full amount of whipping allowed by the Legislature, that this Court will find it necessary to carry out what appears to be the intention of the Legislature for the future. I have, however, taken into consideration the fact that you are still a youth. If you had been some years older —if you had been a full grown man—l should certainly in this case have felt it my duty to have inflicted the full amount of whipping indicated by the Legislature. It is not what I think, but what the Legislature thinks is the appropriate punishment for the offence. But, as I have said, I take into account simply the fact of your youth. There is no other matter in this case which inclines me to be lenient. The sentence of the Court is that you be kept in penal servitude for eight years, and that you be whipped privately once, and that the number of strokes to be inflicted be 20, and with the instrument commonly known as the cat. ATTEMPT TO MUBDER. Thos. Coleman was charged with the above offence. He pleaded guilty. Mr. Barton called a number of witnesses to the prisoner's character. They all spoke in favorable terms of hiin as a man who, previous to the committal of the offence to which he pleaded guilty, had been respectable, quiet, and unoffending. His Honor deferred sentencing prisoner till next morning. FELONY. John McCann was charged with criminally assaulting a girl. He pleaded not guilty, and was defended by Mr. Barton. The prisoner was found guilty and remanded for sentence. The Court then adjourned.