A HARDENED CRIMINAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 June 1938, Page 5

A HARDENED CRIMINAL

FACES FIFTY CHARGES. SPENT MORE THAN HALF HIS LIFE IN GAOL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 24. There were in all 50 charges against Francis Henry Gordon Guilford, who appeared for sentence before Mr Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court this morning. He pleaded guilty to 39 charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime, two charges of escaping from custody, and one charge of theft. “Only 46 years of age, prisoner has spent 28 years behind prison walls,” said Mr J. K. Moloney. He added that at the age of 15, for petty thefts of some lollies and pencils, he was sentenced to six strokes of the birch and six years’ reformative detention at Burnham, where flogging and harsh treatment was at that time the rule for juvenile delinquents! Since the age of 15, Mr Moloney added, Guilford had spent only two Christmases out of prison. His Honour pointed out that Guilford had already been declared an habitual crminal and released on licence. He had within a few weeks embarked again on a course of housebreaking and theft, which brought him again before the court. Again he was guilty of housebreaking and theft, and was sent to prison. Escaping, he continued to lead a life of theft. His Honour sentenced Guilford in all to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour. On each of two charges of escaping he sentenced him to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour, to be served concurrently. On each of the other charges he sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour, to be served concurrently but separately from the sentence for escaping.