SUPREME COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 126, 28 May 1914, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

TEN TEARS' IMPRISONMENT. FOR A ISISV l_rß_;T_._R. The hearing ..i" tv,- evidence i n the ■ seventeen charges of burglary, theft, etc., jin Auckland, against Arthur Hamilton. wa* concluded yesterday aftcrn.ion. Hamilton did not give evidence, lint stated that he had ret-eivod the good-. 111., jury returned a verdict ot guilty on all counts, and Hamilton was sentenced to n term of ten years' iiiipri-onraent with hard labour. It i- understood .that lie had a criminal record in Australia before coming to Auckland a bunt twelve months a;o. OLD OFFENDEP.'S LAPSE. William Patrick Brophy was charged with the theft of a clock from a dwelling in Parnell. Evidence wis brought to rthow that he had been see n leaving the house (one room of which had been sublet to a woman lodger I nn the day of the alleged theft, and that he had afterwards -huwn the clock to his own landlord. Brophy conducted his >iw n defence. and gave evidence on oath, lie said that lie had been friendly with the owner of j the clock (though she denied this) and had helped her after the strike. He had. he said. bought the chick from her for 8/. The jury returned n verdict of guilty. The prisoner, referring to his previous convictions, pleaded that they were some years old. and that lie had worked steadily since the strfke. j 117 Honor pointed out. that Brophy was liable to b P declared a habitual criminal, but he would not fake that step. A sentence of two years'jnrpri?onl ment. with hard labour, vv.ip imposed. . TTIETT OF A WATCTI. ( ia.u.le Hamilton Maxwell pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft nf a watch. | He was not represented liy counsel. The Crown Prosecutor stated thai cvi deuce would l>e brought to show that L a City Council employee named Ptirdy. when going to work in Victoria. Park on ' the morning of the L'lth of February. hung his waistcoat, containing his watch. behind th,. pavilion. Maxvv-!] had been ' ! seen in th.- Park, .md had been .-ecu to go behind the pavilion, and when Pnrdy went again to his vet. the watch was 1 gone. Maxwcl; had <uh«i<quentlv pawned 1 the «;_•:. h. '■ i Evidence in support of the Crown case ' i was given In Purily and a fellow-em- ' ' ployee. by the pawnbroker, who gave | pledge for the watch, nnd by Detective - ! Torrance. , | Maxwell said he had pawned the watch i for a man whom l.c had met in a hotel. . I The jury returned a verdict of guilty. , j Prisoner, who had had previous convic- , tion.. recorded against him, was sentenced I! to a term of twelve months' imprisonI ment with hard labour. ' i | ' ADDICTED To DRINK. 1 Michael Quintan, who had come beJ fore his Honor Mr. .1 us the Cooper last || Friday for sentence on a charge of !?heep stealing at Coroman.lel. appeared j again this morning. Sentence had been deferred to enable the constable from < oromandcl to attend to give evidence ins to Quinlan's character. The constable 'attended this morning, and stated that • j Quintan was a married man. but did [nothing to support his wile, who r>-- ' ceiveii a ..mall remittance from her .people hi Home as compensation I i for accident from .1 l'.ritish railway , ,company. He was of no use-to her. and she did not want him back. There had . ! been -cveral previous convictions against I him during the pm-t three years. Mr. Justice Cooper pointed out that Quintan had lioen convicted on two 'I charges of iheft. Thowrh prohibited, he . 'Ira.il been convicted three times of 'j breaches, of his order. The offence lie I had pleaded guilty to on the present . j occasion was not a serious one in this . i instance. Sheep stealing war- as a rule fj .1 very serious offence, but this was not '| a case of ordinary sheep stealing. The I man was given to drink, and it was in I his own interests that he should be kept from it. He had been prohibited, but ' either he was not strong enough to re- ' frain from drinking, although supported by a prohibition order, or he desired, notwithstanding the ordpr. to 'obtain Ihiuor. He would be sentenced to a • term of six month.-' reformative treattncnt. DIVORCE. DECREE NISI. The divorce .-nit brought by Dr. Gore j Dillon, of Auckland, against his wife, on j the ground of dc-ertion. occupied the I attention >>f h's Honor. Mr. .Instiee Cooper, in oharul>ors yesterday and this •morning. The case had been adjourned to consider the legal position in regard to a period of constructive desertion. His Honor granted a decree nisi, and reserved his decision in regard to the question of permanent alimony.