Criminal Made by Head Injury
PLEA FOR FORGER “SHOWED SHREWDNESS,” SAYS JUDGE An accident to his head was declared to be the cause of the lapse of Charles Somerville Vincent, aged 18 years, who was sentenced at the Supreme Court to-day for forging and uttering. Mr. Tong, who appeared for the prisoner, said that he came of a respectable family. An accident to his head had made him sub-normal. At the age of 14 years be bad been committed to an institution for an offence. After being allowed out on license he went into a rabbit-trapping contract with his father, but it failed, and the lad was destitute in Auckland. After being ill with influenza he was trudging the streets. “He showed considerable ingenuity when he invited his friend to write his name in an autograph book,” said Mr. Justice Reed. “That showed an amount of shrewdness.” Mr. Tong said that the forged name was nothing like the signature in the book, according to a witness. A farmer was willing to take the lad. His Honour said that Vincent would be sent back to the Borstal Institute, which would use its discretion and license him to the farmer if it thought fit. The term would be not more than three years.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SUNAK19271031.2.97
Bibliographic details
Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 189, 31 October 1927, Page 9
Word Count
211Criminal Made by Head Injury Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 189, 31 October 1927, Page 9
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