SUPREME COURT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 29, 5 February 1915, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

YOUTH IMPRISONED FOR LIFE. Pjer Press iAssociation. Timartt, February .'5. John Daintry Campbell Birch, aged sixteen years, wbo pleaded guilty at be Supreme Court yesterday to the itteiupted murder of James O'Connell, ,vas sentenced to-day by Mr Justice Denniston to imprisonment for life. His Honor delivered a lengthy ad■ress, stating the reasons for imposing lie full sentence allowed by the law. ■'! do not see," he said, "why til© act of youi' failure to complete your purpose should place you in a better position, and deprive the public of protection. Von will lie cared for, vour health and disposition will he un.ler "observation, and it will he for the proper authorities to decide now, or in the future, whether after adolescence a remission of your sentence may be justified. I cannot anticipate the time, if ever, when such justification will occur. This course has heen lately adopted in the case of a hoy younger than you, who was convicted of sexual crimes which made his liberty dangerous to girls. I feel hound to sentence you to the heaviest punishment the law allows, leaviny your future in the hands of those who will have control of it." ALLECED SHEEP STEALING. VERDICT OF "NOT CUILTY." At the New Plymouth Supreme Court, the case of Keginald Gervase Hamerton, who was charged on three counts of sheep-stealing, occupied all day on Wednesday and part of Thursday morning. Mr R. Spence, of Stratford, who defended Hamerton, addressed the jury, reviewing the evidence at length. He pointed out that the evidence for the Crown was all circumstantial, and might, at the most, he suspicious. The accused's conduct throughout had been thoroughly consistent with his innocence, and his story had heen corroborated by independent witnesses. His Honor summed up briefly. He felt quite sure that iYouug and Worthington were honest men, •who would in no way attempt to conspire against iccused. From evidence submitted there was a reasonable probability that prisoner was guilty, hut it was for the jury to decide. After a retirement of about 18 minutes, the jury returned with a verdict of "not guilty" and prisoner was discharged.