A BOGUS PLEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 143, 20 June 1927, Page 8

A BOGUS PLEA.

PRISONER'S SELFINDULGENCE.

SAID HE STOLE FOR FAMILY.

BUT JUDGE DISBELIEVES HIM.

"The plea that you were out of work and committed this crime iu order to provide for your wife and children does not hold water," said Mr. Justice Reed at the Supreme to-day in sentencing a middle-aged %ian named Cecil Mark Brown to two years' imprisonment on a charge of breaking and entering and theft. His Honor added that the report of the police showed that since Brown came out of gaol after serving his last term of imprisonment he had been living a selfindulgent life, and spending his money on drink and amusement. The young man into whose premises Brown had broken had befriended him, and prisoner had taken advantage of his knowledge of the place to break in and steal. It was perhaps unfortunate for Brown that he had committed the crime at a time when offences of this kind were so prevalent. In view of his previous record of convictions no lower sentence than two years could be imposed. Br. S. L. Paterson asked for an order for possession of £9 0/7, money found in Brown's possession on arrest. This money, said Mr. Paterson, was obtained by pawning some of the stolen articles. His Honor: Does he admit that? Prisoner, asked whether he had got the money by pawnbroking transactions, replied "Not necessarily." His Honor: I'm afraid the money cannot be identified. I cannot make any order.