PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 183, 5 August 1925, Page 9

PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME.

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

TWO YEARS TOR SEVERAL.

SOME WELL-KNOWN OFFENDERS.

For two hours this morning Mr. Justice Herdman was engaged in sentencing, prisoners in the Supreme Court. Three prisoners were dealt with in the upper chamber by Mr. Justice Reed. "I have read your statement, but the fact remains that you have been given chances before," said Mr. Justice Reed to John Davies, who had obtained money iby false pretences. In 1911, prisoner ! had been convicted of theft, had served i a long term for breaking and entering lin 1912, and had further convictions J subsequently, having been convicted for ! vagrancy only last year. On this occai sion, two years' hard labour would be the sentence. Received Stolen Goods. Wm. John Rowe, a young bootmaker, of Onehunga, who was found guilty of receiving stolen property from an old Maori thief, was represented by Mr Terry, who drew his Honor's attention to the jury's recommendation to mercy. His Honor said that although receiving was a serious offence, he proposed to take an unusual course. Acting on the Probation Officer's report, 'he would grant probation for two years, on condition that prisoner took out a prohibition order, and paid the costs of the ; prosecution, £25 15/6. Two Years For Old Hand.His Honor found it impossible to believe John Johnston's statement that he had been compelled to break and enter premises by reason of his destitute position. Johnson had started his criminal career in 1907, and had many convictions since that date. He would be sentenced to two years' hard labour. . Systematic Robbery. Twelve charges of obtaining money by false pretences were owned to by Lewis Asher, alias Anderson, who sought probation. His Honor said this was out of the question. Previously he had been convicted of theft. In the present instance he had been systematically robbing people. He would be sentenced to two years' hard labour. Another Old Offender. Alfred Ireland, a man well up in years, was asked the usual question as to whether he had anything to say why sentence should not be passed upon him, when he appeared in the dock owning to false pretences. "No, I've pleaded guilty, and you've got all the papers there," he replied carelessly. "Yes, and the papers' are not very satisfactory," was the judge's retort. "Your record chows a series of convictions dating back to 1916. Two years' imprisonment with hard labour." Sad for the Wife. That prisoner had fallen into the hands of moneylending sharks, who had charged him 94 per cent interest on what he borrowed, was part of the plea of Mr. Noble, when Harold Markwick, a young man, appeared for sentence on a charge ol false pretences. Prisoner had a wife only 19 years of age, and she had two babies of her own, as well as .the care of a child by prisoner's divorced wife. Markwick had been convicted on tho plainest possible evidence, said Mr. Justice Herdman, and he had previous convictions against him of false pretences in 1917 and theft in 1923. One always felt sorry for the wife and children of a man who persisted in getting into trouble, but the Court owed a duty to the public. Marwick would be sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour. Maori Gets Eighteen Months. Five charges of obtaining money by false pretences were admitted by Thomas Richard Porter (Mr. Rolleston), a Tokomaru Bay native, who was a professional carver of Maori ornaments. Couneel stated that prisoner had married a native girl, and on her assurance that money was about to be paid to her he had drawn the cheques. Mr. Justice Herdman said that only recently prisoner had served a term of reformative detention for theft as a servant. He had pleaded guilty to these charges of fraud, whatever his explanation might be, and the sentence would be 18 months' imprisonment, with hard labour. Given Another Chance. Eli Mitchell (Mr. Hogben) was granted probation on two charges of false pretences. All his offences were stated to have been attributable to liquor. It was suggested that in the present instance i the man's acts were stupid, rather than criminal. He was a'hard-working sharemilker, and earned £3."i0 a year. The judge said lie would give Mitchell another chance, despite the fact that he had been previously convicted. He would take out a prohibition order, and pay £7 11/ restitution and costs. Maurice McAuliffe > a young man who only recently arrived in New Zealand, having previously followed the sea, was granted two years' probation for breaking, entering and theft, on the recommendation of tho Probation Officer. The bulk of the property had' bnen recovered. He was ordered to make restitution to the extent of £10, and pay costs £2 1/, being allowed six months in which to pay. Paianga Wikitera and George Ngapera two Maori boys, wore placed on probation on charges of breaking, entering and theft. All the property had been recovered. Three Years' Reformative. For committing r breach of his probation order of three years' reformative detention for a conviction for theft, forgery and false pretences. George Thomas Nelson (24) was sentenced before Mr. Justice Reed yesterday to another term of three years' reformative detention, to be concurrent with the present one. Edward Arnold Curtis (Mr. Matthews), who was found guilty of having unlawful carnal knowledge of an imbecile woman, was sentenced to throe years' probation upon ordinary conditions, with the special condition that ho should refrain from the use of intoxicating liquor. The probation officer remarked that the prisoner had behaved specially well, had refrained from intoxicating liquor -and worked well.

His Honor: I am very glad the leniency of the Court lias been appreciated. Evidently the prisoner wants some moral support. I shall admit him to probation for a lengthy period to enable him to get the assistance of the probation officer to keep him straight.