FORGERY ADMITTED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 53, 24 October 1931, Page 3

FORGERY ADMITTED

TE KIRI CASE MAJOR CHARGE IS NOT PREFERRED AGAINST ACCUSED ADMITTED TO PROBATION When Joe Te Kiri, an Ohinemutu native, was found guilty of the theft of a bicyele at the last sittings of the Magistrate's Court in Rotorua, the magistrate (Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M.) expressed grave doubts as to the authenticity of a document produced by Te Kiri in the course of his defence, and instructed the police to investigate the matter. Protracted investigations were not necessary, however, for the following day Te Kiri made a voluntary statement admitting that he had forged the document in question. \ ■ « Following thls^admission, he was* brought before the court again yesterday morning and on a charge of wilfully obstructing a constable in the execution of his dut-y, was placed on two years' probation with an order ta take out a prohibition order during that period. In imposing this sentence, the magistrate made it plain to the prisoner that 'he was being very leniently treated and that a much ' more serious charge involving a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment could have been laid against him. Admitted Forgery. Senior-Sergeant Carroll, who appeared for the police, stated that ori September 29, when the accused wa£ •interviewed by Constable Kelly iii conneetion with the theft of a bieycle, he misled the constable by producing a document which he stated was a res ceipt from another Maori, who, he alleged, had sold him the machine. In a statement silbsequently, Te Kiri had admitted that this document was a forgery. There was really very little to be said in favour of the accused. He appeared to have made np his mind to lead a life of crime. The only thing which could be said in hi$ favoui; was that he had already served a'" sentence of 15 days' imprisonment for the theft of the bicycle and that he had a wife and five young children to support. Mr. R. A. Potter, who appeared for Te Kiri, said that the accused now admitted that he had come by the bicycle dishonestly and that on the spur of the moment he had written the alr leged receipt himself. He had, however, immediately recognised his f ault and had made a clean breast of the matter to the police. Te Kiri had instructed him that he had forged the documept in a desperate effort to avoid a sentence of six months goal, which he had. been under the impression he would receive for the theft of the bicycle. As the police had said, the accused had a wife and five young children, and he made this attempt to avoid leaving them destitute over this period. | The whole thing had been a great shock to accused, and had taught him a lesson. He had work to go to, and counsel suggested that if the magistrate could see his way to admit the accused to probation, he would not offend again. Leniently Treated. "I want yon to realise that wou . might have been charged with a much _ , more serious offence — an offence for" > which you might have got up to five 1 years' gaol," said the magistrate ad- .. dressing the accused, "I hope you . will appreciate the fact that you are being very leniently dealt with in be- , ing charged with only a minor offence. I have known you now for about five years. I have known you to be a bit of a rascal, but you have ■ a lot of good points. It is because of that that I suggested to the police that you might* be charged with ;a . minor offence. If you had gone to 1 gaol in Auckland, it might have made you into a proper criminal, because there you would be- associating with a very hardened crowd and in the end you might have become as bsfcd as some of the others up there. . ,* "You are a good workman and you have some good points," concluded; . the magistrate. "With a little diseipline and supervision from the police, yon might be made into quite a decent citizen. I propose, therefore, to place you on probation. I „do so because you have had a shock over this matter, because you realise that you have done wrong, and because you have voluntarily admitted the offence before you were charged with it. After all, repentence is the first step "towards reformation. I also take into consideration the fact that you have a wife and five young children." Te Kiri was admitted to a term Of two years probation and was ordered to take out a prohibition order against himself during that period.