PENALTY FOR CRIME.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1922, Page 8

PENALTY FOR CRIME.

DUNEDIN SENTENCES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Nov. 11. In the Supreme Court, prisoners were sentenced as follows:—Alexander Christie Bennett, breaking, entering and theft, 10 months’ imprisonment; James Linford Sharp, 'breaking and entering and theft, four charges, eight months’ imprisonment. The following were sentenced to reformative detention: —Arthur Ernest Ede (two years for indecent assault), Morris James David Deans (two years for theft as a postal officer), Hugh Alexander Forbes (four years for attempted carnal knowledge), Vivian Jones (five, years for breaking find entering),» Edwin Alphonsus Gawne (two years for breaking and entering and theft), Stewart Cecil Harland and Heatlierbelle Harland (the former five years, and the latter two and a half years for concealment of birth). Addressing the Harlands in passing sentence. Sir Robert Stout said: The jury has found you both guilty of concealment of birth, that is that the dead body of a little baby found in Park Street, rolled up in. a towel and brown paper, was your child. It is a harrowing story, and I do not desire to dwell cri it. How anyone could have strangled your child J cannot conceive. I must assume you were not slayers of your firstborn. Your treatment, however, of the poor body after it was dead was revolting, and in the years to come I should think you will never be able to efface the sad memory of your conduct. The Crimes Amendment Act gives me power to impose sentences of reformative detention not exceeding ten years. Were I to unduly extend the term it might be thought I was punishing you for a crime of which yoti have been found not guilty. x His Honor then passed sentence as above.