PRISONERS SENTENCED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 261, 4 November 1929, Page 9

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

"WILD WEST SCHEME." A MISDIRECTED SPIRIT. YOUTH SENT TO BORSTAL. "What made you take your employer's horse, bridle and gun, and set out on this Wild West scheme?" Mr. Justice Smith asked George Thomas McDonald Bryant, a youth who appeared for sentence in the Supreme Court this morning on charges of breaking and entering and theft. His Honor said that Bryant had twice been before the Court on charges of false pretences. "What made you set out on this escapade?" his Honor repeated. "I don't know," prisoner replied. ,■ >; His Honor: Did you see something like this in the pictures?— No. "You seem to be a young man of spirit," his Honor added, "but that spirit must be directed in the proper channels. You will serve a period of three years in the Borstal. Institute. Gaol For "Swagger." One year's hard labour was the sentence passed on Francis Vernon who had pleaded guilty to three charges of breaking, entering and theft at Thames. Mr. Noble, who appeared for prisoner, said that with the exception of minor offences such as drunknenness, prisoner, who was 55 years old, had never been before a Court. He was a "swagger" and had been arrested for vagrancy, and it was later found he had committed the offence upon which he was now indicted. The offence was not very serious and the total proceeds had been only £2. His Honor said it was a plain case of breaking and entering, but that offence was serious. Householders had to be protected. Prisoner would be sentenced to one year's imprisonment with hard labour. "Thank you," mumbled Vernon. ' "Mean Acts." "These were mean acts of false pretences, and consequently I have not much faith in your promises that you will make restitution," said the judge when he sentenced Charles Mozart Spinley to 18 months' hard labour on three charges of false pretences. "I gave the police every assistance," prisoner said from the dock. "I was given six months last Wednesday in the lower Court." The judge ordered the sentence to be concurrent with that being served. . The Worst Medicine. "He was so drunk that he didn't know what he was doing," said Mr. Noble in pleading for Walter Frederick McCarthy, who had pleaded guilty to charges of breaking and entering. His Honor: Prisoner, already you have undergone two years' reformative detention and served one month's gaol for theft. No sooner are you released than you start off again. It appears that you want to go back to gaol. Well, I can only fall in with your apparent desire. I will i give you the worst medicine that you can get, namely, eighteen months' hard labour. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, this day. The following prisoners were sentenced in the Supreme Court: —

Leslie Gordon Frascr, aged 19. for unlawful carnal knowledge (two charges'), 12 months' reformative detention. His Honor directed' the probation oflicer to bring the matter of the actual period to be served specially before the Prisons Board, also to refer the case to the authorities so that the Minister may, if he thinks lit, order the transfer of the prisoner to a Borstal institution. George Stodart, aged 34. who pleaded guilty to two charges of theft of £326 If)/, the property of the Inglewood Bacon Curing Company, was sentenced to 12 months' reformative detention.