CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 400, 18 February 1899, Page 2

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

(by telegraph—press association). Wellington, Last Night. The young man, Douglas, who was convicted of rape at Opaki, near Masterton, under peculiarly brutal circumstances, came up for sentence this morning Mr Justice Edwards made some very Bti ong remarks as to the serious nature of the offeuce. He had, no doubt, when Douglas left the girl lyiug on the road side he thought she was dead, and had intended to kill her. The crime was of the greatest gravicy, and only short of murder. The man was even worse than a brute aud his sentence would be penal servitude for life. Before Douglas was sentenced, Dr. Gray Hassall gave further evidence as to his mental condition. He did not think the man was inaano, but that he would be a danger to the community while at large. Thomas and Annie Loouey, brother and sister, were next put at the bar. The Judge said he had no doubt that both the prisoners were mentally deficient, but he could not allow them to go on shooting at people ; moreover, no plea of insanity had been set' up. He lift the question of their being irresponsible for their actions to the proper authorities, and the Crown Prosecutor undertook to represent the case to the Crown. The prisoners were then sentenced to five years' penal servitude. Annie Looney, addressing the Judge when the sentenced was finished, 6aid : " You wid never pass another sentence ; I will drop you dead." Mr Justice Edwards said very possibly he would stand the risk of that. Thomas Pell, for theft, was sentenced to 12 months. Invercargill, Last Night. Mr Justice Penuefather, iu sentencing Klugleiu on a charge of indecent assault on a girl 15 years of age, said he had been convicted of a disgraceful crime on the clearest possible evideuce, which showed him to be wholly unfittel to be regarded as a fit member of a civilised community, and sentenced him to two years' hard labour, with two floggings of 12 lashes each, the first iu March and the second on June Ist. Stephen Whelan is now being Gharged with criminal knowledge of his stepdaughter, 15j years of age.