SUPREME COURT.—CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5388, 4 July 1878, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.—CRIMINAL SITTINGS.

Wednesday, July 3. (Before his Honor the Chief Justice and Common Juries.) The Court re opened at ten o’clock. SENTENCE. Walter James White, who was convicted of indecent assault on the previous day, .was brought up for sentence. ■ His Honor, in sentencing the prisoner, said: Prisoner, the jury have acquitted you on the graver offence of the two of which you stood charged, and the evidence satisfies me that the case was one of the grossest indecency, rather than of attempting to have connection with the child. That being the case, and it appearing that the prevention of the more serious offence was not through any interference on .the part of any other person, I am induced to believe that nothing but the grossest indecency occurred, and that possibly there was no intention to do any injury to the child. That being the case, I feel disposed to pass a lighter sentence upon you than I should have done under other circumstances. The sentence of the Court is, that you be kept in the common gaol at Wellington for twelve calendar months, at hard labor. The prisoner was then removed. LARCENY. Hohepa te Pirihi was charged with having entered the house of a settler at Tokomaru, Tologa Bay, on the 6th June last, and stolen therefrom several articles of wearing apparel, &o. The prisoner'pleaded not guilty. Mr. E. Baker was sworn in as interpreter. The jury, after hearing the evidence, returned a verdict of stealing all the articles named in the indictment, not of breaking into the dwelling. HORSE-STEALING. The same prisoner was then indicted for stealing a mare, the property of another native known under the English name of John Anderson. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. After hearing the evidence, the jury returned verdict of guilty. The’ prisoner was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, with hard labor, ou each charge, one sentence to take effect after the expiration of the other. . INDECENT ASSAULT. Thomas Hogan was charged with having attempted to commit a rape on Eliza Smith, wife of a laborer living at Greytowu. On being asked to plead, prisoner said : I cannot say whether lam guilty or not. I had been drinking, and was in the horrors. I came home, and what happened I cannot say. A plea of not guilty was then entered. After hearing the evidence (which is of course unfit for publication), thejjury returned a verdict of guilty of indecent assault. The prisoner was sentenced to six months' imprisonment,with hard labor. LARCENY. Henry Schmidt pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing several articles, the property of Messrs, j. E. Nathan and Co., by whom he had been employed as storeman. Sentence was deferred. William Duffy, a lad of twelve and a bale years of age, was charged with stealing a cheque for £2O 16s. Bd, the property of Mr. C. W. Mitchell, of which Mr. C. N. Barron was bailee. The evidence given was similar to that adduced in the Resident Magistrate’s Court. His Honor, in addressing the jury, said it was competent for them to acquit a prisoner between seven and fourteen years of age, if they were not satisfied from the nature of the evidence that there was a felonious intent; The jury, after about three-quarters of an hour’s retirement, returned into Court with a verdict of guilty on the two last.counta—of stealing a piece of paper. His Honor ordered the prisoner to be brought up for sentence at tea o'clock on Eriday morning. , CUTTING AND WOUNDING. Patrick Oonrey was placed at the bar charged with having stabbed Philip Ritchie, on Eambtoa-quay, last Saturday night week. • Prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr. Gordon Allan appeared for the defence. The evidence in this case was fully reported little more than a week ago. .The jury found the prisoner guilty. Sentence was deferred.