SUPREME COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1920, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

YESTERDAY'S SESSION. (Before His Honor Mr. Justice ■ Chapman.) The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth were continued vesterday before his Honor Mr. Justice Chapman.

PARFITT ACQUITTED.

The case against Ernest Parfitt of two charges of theft of building material was continued. Mr. C. H. Weston represented the Crown and Mr. C- H. Croker appeared for accused.

After the case for the defence was closed Mr. Croker ..addressed the jury. Mr. Weston did not address the jury, and after the Judge had summed up, the jury retired at 11.48, returning at 12.32 with a verdict of not guilty on all counts.

PRISONERS FOR SENTENCE. "DISGRACED HIS MANHOOD." Charles Magon and Frederick Magon, for whom Mr. D. Hutchen appeared, were brought up on charges of theft, breaking and entering at Warea, and pleaded guilty. They were remanded until after the luncheon adjournment for sentence. On resuming after luncheon, Mr. Hutchen said, so far as speaking 011 behalf of the prisoners, he felt that the fact of the police reporting they had been convicted and were awaiting sentence on thirteen other charges, largely cut the ground from under his feet. He referred to the fact that Charles Magon had had some military experience, but noted that, although he had received an honorable discharge, the first offence of which he had been convicted had taken place on the date of his discharge. Addressing the prisoners, the Judge said Charles Magon had been guilty of disgraceful conduct. He had disgraced his manhood and his uniform, and had immediately commenced a criminal career on being discharged from the Army, and had induced his brother to join him. To Frederick Magon the Judge said he appeared to have been a very willing partner with his brother.

Charles Magon was sentenced to two years, and Frederick Magon to one year's reformative treatment at Invercargill. THE GARDNER CASE.

Harold George Howard Gardner, who pleaded guilty in the lower court to several charges of theft, breaking and entering, and arson, appeared for sentence. Mr. F. E. Wilson represented prisoner, and in addressing the Court, submitted that the acts which constituted the crimes to which prisoner had pleaded guilty were done cither out of bravado or as the result of an unhinging of the mind.

His Honor said lie had great difficulty in dealing with such a ease. It appeared to be the first lapse of the prisoner, but it was a very serious lapse. There was no doubt that lie know what; he was doing when he took the articles, as he gave some of them to his friends, and judging by his attitude he did not appear particularly sorry for what he had done. The Judge decided to commit accused to tlie Imercargill Reformatory for a period of two years on the first information, and to periods of six months on each of the other informations, the terms to be concurrent.

BAR ON THE PICTURES.

Roy Godfrey Tippett, for whom Mr. P O'Dea appeared, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering at Hawera, and stealing some revolvers and ammunition, appeared for sentence.

Mr. 0 Dea quoted letters from employers of the accused, who spoke most highly of htm, and the one in whose employ lis was at the time of his arrest had taken Jiim back into his service and had since promoted him. The police report was also quite favorable. He could only sue;, gest that iieeused was the victim of the moving picture craze, and had tried ''to ape the hero of thp movies."

The Judge warned the prisoner of the seriousness of his offence, and placed him on probation for a period of twelve months, ordering him to pay £5 towards the cost of the prosecution an monthly instalments of 10s e;«h. He also made it a condition that he should not frequent picture entertainments without the consent of the probation officer.