SUPREME COURT CASES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 212, 15 February 1915, Page 4

SUPREME COURT CASES.

AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. Auckland, February 12. At the Supreme Court a Maori youth named Wharauroa Matin Patara wan brought up on a charge of horse-steal-ing His Honor: This case was sent iip from tlie Magistrate's Court at Dargaville, and bears a very serious defect upon the face of the proceedings. Th» information is the name of Matiu, and the signed confession is by Wharaurofe Matiu P tara. It may be, and probably is, the same person, but I must adjudi-' cate upon these proceedings as I find them. I don't think it permissible now to call evidence to show it is one and the same person nor should I amend the proceedings, to make them comply witll the information.

The Hon. J. A. Sole: "Could he not ailmit it V" Mr E. C. Blomfield, counsel for accused : "Without wishing to be captious, or make technical objections, I could not have all my way to do it. There is a further objection that where a person of Maori race is asked to plead, or pleady "uilty, the actual plea itself should be written in Maori as well.". His Honor: Having looked through tho depositions, it seems to me that the plea of guilty was made without proper consideration, and, I think, inadvisedly, because his own written statement is quite contrary to a plea of guilty. The statement made to the arresting constable is a denial of guilt, and the whole of the surrounding circumstance® strongly point to some other person rather than him. I have very grave doubts as to the whole proceedings, and this encourages mc to take advantago of what I think an obvious technical defect and to declare these proceedings invalid, I shall do that because no injustice will be done. It does not prevent proper proceedings being instituted. The prisoner was accordingly dised.