PENALTY FOR CRIME.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1921, Page 4

PENALTY FOR CRIME.

SEVEN YEARS AND FLOGGING ANOTHER DETAINED TEN YEARS. JUDGE’S STRONG CONDEMNATIONS. By Telegraph—Preu Association Auckland, Last Night. Strong condemnation of two prisoners who appeared before him for ■sentence was made <by Mr. Justice Adams at the Supreme Court to-day. Addressing William Albert Henry Love, who had on the previous day pleaded guilty to incest, the Judge said: ‘‘You have nothing to say why sentence should not be passed upon ybu. I am not surprised. I have had some experience in these cases and I have never heard a worse one. You are the father of the unfortunate child on whom you gratified your criminal and animal lust. The child ’ was living in your’home and was entitled to your protection against the whole world, but you betrayed that trust. You are sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labor. 1 further order you to be detained for a term not exceeding eight years for reformative treatment.” To Robert William Legley, a circus labourer, who had indecently assaulted a girl only ten years of age. His Honor said: “You have been convicted on your own confession of a crime that shames manhood. You have prowled about the pleasant places of this city, and in one of the parks provided by the generosity of Auckland’s citizens you found three little children sent out by their mothers, who had a right to believe they would be perfectly safe. You bribed two of the youngest to leave a little girl of 10 years of age in your company. There is no crime calling for condemnation in stronger language than yours. Little children must be protected from such men as you, so that the places provided for their innocent pleasure, where they can enjoy the good things God has provided for them, can be safe. I am going to sentence you to the maximum term of imprisonment. I will go further in your case. This is one of the few offences for which the law has retained the right to inflict corporal punishment, and I should feel that no adequate punishment had been meted out to you unless it included something of that nature, not chiefly by way of punishment to you, but a* a deterrent to you and others from crimes of such a- beastly character. You are sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labor, and to be flogged nnen, with ten strokes.”