SUPREME COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 263, 20 August 1930, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

ACQUITTAL AT CHRISTCHURCH. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 19. In the Supreme Court to-day, Ronald Edward Morrison was charged with the theft of a car valued at '£loo, the propertv of Edgar Henry Smith. It was alleged that Smith left his car in a street in the city in the evening of July 5. He went back three hours later and the car was missing. Morrison told a detective he met a stranger named Macgregor in the city that night. Morrison told Macgregor his own car had broken down, and that he had to get to Nelson. Macgregor told him he would hire him a car"on condition that he returned it to Timaru. Macgregor went away and came back with Smith's car Accused drove it all night, and finally ran it over a bank near Kaikoura. He was himself injured and taken to hospital. THE GISBORNE SESSIONS. (Per Press Association.) GISBORNE, August 19. The Supreme Court session opened this morning. His Honor Mr Justice Reed congratulated the district on the small amount of crime. True bills were returned in ,the cases against John Lionel Baker (charged with cattle stealing) and Leslie Clyde Munro, (charged with unlawful carnal knowledge.) The trial of Leslie Clyde Munro, aged twentv-two years, on a charge oi. carnal knowledge of a Maori girl aged fifteen vears, came to a sudden stop. After some of the evidence of the prosecution had been heard accused reversed his plea of not guilty to one of guiltv. His Honor said he regarded the case as the most, venial one he had ever come across. Accused had had sexual relations with the girl by the invitation of her parents. _ "I don't propose to do anything with you," said his Honor, "other than to order you to reimburse the country for the ex'pense to which it has been put for your trial." His Honor remanded accused until the afternoon to enable the amount oi the costs to be fixed; but when the Court resumed, his Honor said he had ascertained that accused was serving a term of two vears' reformative detention, and it would-be useless tc order him to pay.costs. His Honor proposed, to impose a nominal penalty to lie concurrent with the term now being served. Munro was sentenced to one -month's imprisonment with hard labour. 3