PRISONERS SENTENCED.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1922, Page 2

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

FORGING AND UTTERING. BREAKING AND ENTERING. ' Thre prisoners who had pleaded guilty in the lower court appeared for sew fence before his Honor Mr. Justice Chapman at the sitting of the Supreme CoiiTt at New Plymouth yesterday. TWO. YEARS’ DETENTION. Francis Douglas Still, who had pleaded guilty to forging and uttering three cheques, was sentenced to an another two years’ reformative detention. Mr. Weston stated that the accused was convicted on December 9, 1919, on charges of breaking and entering at New Plymouth, being admitted to probation on one charge and ordered to come Up for sentence when called upon bn tW other. While on probation he had committed the present offences. He had gone to Wellington and had there been convicted -for breaking and entering, receiving a sentence of two years ? reformative detention. It was while un--dergoing this detention that the present offences were discovered. hi STRICT PROBATION.' ;j. Leslie Hanson and Donald Nelson Kay, who had pleaded guilty to breaking, entering and theft at Manaia, were represented by Mr. P. O’Dea. Mr. O’Dea ’stated that the boys had broken into a Chinaman’s shop after lollies and fruit, but unfortunately there -was some money lying there, and - : '9ie supposed the temptation was too great. The money had been recovered intact and returned to the Chinaman. Both boye bore very good characters; they ■wete not bad boys, an<J did not “knock about the streets.” There was no necessity for them to steal, as they both had as much money as they wanted, and came from very respectable families. He called Mr. J. J. Meldon (chairman pf the Manaia Town Board) and Hanson’s employer, who gave evidence as to the character of the boys. His Honor said he had reluctantly decided to admit both accused to tion—reluctantly because he felt that the youth of the Dominion was not,appreciating its benefits. He had sufficient confidence, however, in what - file witnesses had told him to warrant him in giving the boys a trial. He would make it a lengthy one, and attach such conditions as would not make it unbearable but woud make them feel that they were not to be trusted on their own. Each accused would be admitted to probation for a period of three years. During that time each was to pay .€5 towards the costs of the prosecution in monthly instalments of 10s, the first to be made on September 1, and without the written consent of the probation officer, they were not to be out after 8 o’clock at night, not to go to any place of amusement, and not to change their present addresses.