CRIME PUNISHED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 188, 10 August 1936, Page 8

CRIME PUNISHED.

VARIED OFFENCES.

SIX MEN BEFORE JUDGE

PROBATION AND GAOL TERMS,

Six men who had admitted various crimes came before his Honor Mr. Justice Fair for sentence in the Supreme Court this morning. With olio exception, all of the offenders had been committed from the lower Courts outside Auckland. Thomas Ferguson, who had been committed from Kaikohe, on the charge o stealing four horses valued at £ >•->, stated that lie was willing to make good the value of the horses if granted probation. His Honor said that in normal cases he would feel obliged to send offencleis to prison for this class of offence. Ihe accused had borne a good charactci in the past, and was a young man of only 21 years. He would be given the opportunity to live an honest and respectable life in the future. In admitting accused to probation for two years, his Honoi also imposed a fine of £20, to be paid within twelve months, and ordered that accused should make restitution within three months of the balance of the money owing to the owner of the horses and should also pay the costs of the prosecution, £3 10/. "COMMITTED ON IMPULSE." Tn the case of Gordon Keith Adams (Mr. Fraer), aged 31, who had broken and entered a shop in his Honor said he would adopt the recommendation of the probation officer and grant him probation. Mr. Fraer stated that for the past six or seven y >ars accused had been in constant ill-health, with only intermittent occupation. At the time of the offence he was on sustenance and apparently had had some drink. He had never been before the Court before. His Honor said that he granted probation with some hesitancy in these cases. However, the offence appeared to have been committed on impulse and not deliberately planned. Accused was admitted to probation for two years and ordered to make good the value of the goods still missing ( £0 13/) within 12 months. CRIMINAL CAREER. A mail of 28 years, James Bernard Lawless, who had spent the best part of the past six years in fraol, admitted a charge of breaking and nterlng a warehouse at Hamilton. His counsel, Mr. Robinson, said that Lawless was released only in December last. When he had spent what money he had lie committed this further offence. He had no relatives or friends in New Zealand.

His Honor pointed out that the value of the goods stolen was £320, and the accused's circumstances could not have obliged him to steal that amount. Accused had followed a criminal career, for which he had been punished many times before. The seriousness of the crime was aggravated by the fact that he employed a motor car, and in addition he had given no assistance to the police to recover the missing goods. It seemed that nothing could be said in his favour. Accused was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with liard labour.

DUTY OF MEN. "The law is well known. It is a duty incumbent 011 men to protect young "iris from themselves, even when they consent," said his Honor, to Herbert Charles Lea bourn, aged 23, whose offence was unlawful carnal knowledge of a »ir] a~ed 4 years and 10 months. His Honor added that the girl was accused's cousin and he had been living in her house as a member of the family. Sentence of 1° months' imprisonment with hard labour was imposed. nine months of crime. Charges of breaking and entering at \\liangarei and Hamilton, the offences extending over a period of nine months, were admitted by Ivor Alexander Pean? 1S r i,nSel ' Mr ' T,,rner ' said that although accused had previous con\lotions, the crimes were all committed over the same period as those for which I eacock now stood in the dock. It appeared that accused, when under the influence of liquor, was unable to behave himself.

His Honor said tliat the first offenecs occurred at Wha ngarci, and after breakin? and entering shops at Hamilton, accused went back to Wliangarei and comnutted the game offence in the same place. His Honor said he was nimble to accede to counsel's plea to extend the leniency of probation. Accused had committed a series of offences that required deliberation and some time to carry them out. The report by the police was that Peacock was not' of pood chaiacter and was living a loose life and drinking. Though lie was only 21 years old, lie was old enough to know the seriousness of his crimes. He would be sentenced to six months' hard labour. A further case of unlawful carnal knowledge in which the offender was a young Maori is reported elsewhere.