SUPREME COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1526, 16 December 1886, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

TimakU—Tuesday, December 14. [Before His Honor Mr Justice Johnston.] His Honor took liia seat at li a.m. : His charge to ,the Grand. Jury was brief. He remarked on the lightness of the calendar, the casesibeing few in .number and the charges not serious. Referring to the libel case of Aston, ,y.: Craig,; he said he could not see in what the libel consisted. . , . ', , ■ Daring the day IheGraod Jury returned True Billa against Patrick Nolan (larceny of valuable security), Alex. Gascoyne (housebreaking), Patrick O’Raw (larceny), B. Dale (stealing front the, person), and J. Cromie (larceny). No Bill was found in the libel case Aston v. Craig. LARCENY or A CHEQUE. Patrick Nolan was indicted for stealing a cheque for £ls, the property of the South’ Cshterbiiry Building and Investment Co., onthe lltli of “September. Prisoner pleaded guilty, MrJ Hamersley explaining that 'this applied to the first count 6f the indictment only. The Probation Officer, Mr Swan, handed in a report stating that this .was Nolan’s first offence, and he might be expected to reform. ' . His Honor disagreed with the report aad .finally deferred his decision. ] “ HOUSEBREAKING.' ‘ Alexander GaScoyrie Was charged with' breaking into the house of M. Grant at Hampden, Camara, on the 25th-Novem-ber. The prisoner pleaded “Guilty” and made a statement to ; the, effect that on the day named ho : took too much drink, and broke the window of thehouse named .accidentally, The Probation Officer reported unfavorably, mentioning two previous convictions against the prisoner, His Honor said the lenity with which the prisoner had hitherto been treated had done him no good, and passed a sentence of three years’ imprisonment with held iabov. LARCENY. Patrick O’Raw was charged with the larceny of 12401bs of wool; the property of Michael Guerin, on the 15th November. •The prisoner pleaded “ Not Guilty ” and was defended by Mr Hamersley. A full report of this case appeared in this paper a few issues ago and the facts will be fresh in the minds of our readers. A number of sheep were put into O’Raw’s paddock by M. Guerin, which O’Rayv caused to be shorn, and disposed of the wool. ... Mr Hamersley spoke at length on the evidence: add need for.tha prosecution, and submitted that from the facta of it the sale of sheep from Guerin to O’Raw had been proved, and under those circum-, stances the prisoner had. a right to sell tho woolt I

His Honor summed up very briefly, and after a retirement of seven minutes the jury returned a verdict of .bat; guilty/ The Court then adjourned till the folr.v lowing day. i [By Telegraph.] Gisborne, Deb: 14.; At the Supreme Court to-day;-/Rawiri Karataka was acquitted of false pretences. .Ruka, for uttering a forged .cheque, t was sentenced to ijiiie months’ i|nprisonment, and Jacob Fdrbback, for attempted murder, to nine months. -- Ambrose Wilkins. was found guilty of unlawfully wounding, andßebteiice Was deferred, ; < ' •is , iNVEROARGRIiL, Deq. 14. At; Supreme i Court, £ ip-day,? ;f tijie action Jones v.- the’-Oolonial was heard. Plaintiff, a solicitor,, claimed £6OO damages ifa of< defendants having refused to-pay a ohetpie, drawn by him; to meet which they "had funds in hand. The main question’’whs whether the letter given ’b'y ' plaintiff to the Bank instructing them- hot to any hills of bis without consulting Into had prospective meaning or referred'onjy to bills then currant.’ Theßarik topk lh® former view,' and paid a promissory'’ note?of, plaintiff’s, after wbibb• opt • sufflcieht funda io meet thd’cteque hy ! him. The jury give a verdict of £.l, which does not ‘carry costs: 1 tr i