TRIALS AND SENTENCES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 35, 4 May 1927, Page 13

TRIALS AND SENTENCES

supreme court session FORGED A CHEQUE After a retirement of three hours yesterday, the jury found Frank Lewis Johnson (Mr. A. Moody) guilty of having stolen a cheque for £l2, ar d forging the name of Jack Smith in endorsement of it. Summing up, his Honour Mr. Justice Stringer said that it would be strange if a postal official had taken this one letter from thousands of others. Though it would not be right to convict a man on handwriting alone, it must be seen there was a remark able similarity in the specimens, of writing produced. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy, in view of the prisoner’s youth and previous good character. PRETENDER SENTENCED “Probation has failed, reformative detention has failed, and the only thing left is to inflict imprisonment on you,” said his Honour to William Ingram, who had pleaded guilty to four charges of false pretences. A sentence of two years’ imprisonment was imposed. ABDUCTION A 19-year-old youth, Ivor Vincent Scoles, pleaded guilty to a charge of having abducted a girl of 16 years from her home at Whanearei. “This is in the nature of a technical offence,” said Mr. Paterson for the Crown. “I understand the girl is immoral. She invited the hoy to to go Whangarei, and promised to go back to Dargaville with him.” His Honour said that the girl had evidently induced the youth to go with her. The associates of Scoles had not been of the best, and in order that someone might keep an eye on him he would be admitted to probation for two years. I-Ie would also be ordered to pay £ 5 costs.