SUPREME COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 115, 25 February 1937, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

SENTENCES AT WANGANUI. OFFENCES BY PRISONERS. (Per Press Association.) WANGANUI, This Day. At the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Smith sentenced the following prisoners : Hugh Simons; breaking, entering and theft at Taylor’s store, Turangi, two years’ hard labour with six months, for mischief, concurrent but cumulative with the sentence he is at present t serving. Harry Wharepapa, who took part in the above offence, 16 months and six months for mischief, concurrent and cumulative with the sentence he is now serving. OBis Honor remarked that it had been suggested as an excuse that the food at the prison camp was of bad quality, but he wanted to make it plain that the court was not conducting an inquiry into the administration of prison camps. It was concerned only with whether the prisoners w r ere guilty of offences. The court had not heard in reply the evidence of prison officials, and prisoners must understand that if they had any cause for complaint they should make complaint through the proper channels, to visiting justices, who were not part of the ordinary administration. It was quite clear that the prisoners were not starving. Prisoners should reflect that maybe as a result of these crimes the liberty given to prisoners at these camps might be curtailed. The jury’s rider had been forwarded to the Minister of Justice, and no doubt steps would be taken to see that resident storekeepers in the district were protected from the escapades of prisoners by night. George Henry Trillo, for receiving stolen goods, was sentenced to nine months, cumulative with a sentence lie \ is serving.

Wiremu Poroten, for forgery and theft at Patea, was sentenced to reformative treatment not exceeding 12 months.

The jury’s rider referred to hy the judge was: “Wo, the jury, would respectfully suggest that for the safety of storekeepers in the district the authorities concerned should investigate certain of the statements made in the evidence about the facilities afforded prisoners in these .camps and sub-camps, and the (precautions taken for their confinement after working hours.”