CRIME PUNISHED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 84, 10 April 1933, Page 8

CRIME PUNISHED.

JUDGE'S SENTENCES.

THEFT OF THREE HORSES.

«IN AND OUT" SINCE 1903,

Prisoners who had pleaded guilty in the lower Court to. various .offences appeared for sentence before Mr. Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court this

morning. "Prison will be no new experience for you" said his Honor to John Brady, who appeared on three charges of stealing horses at Taumarunui. "You started off in 1903, and from then till now jou have been in and out of the Courts." The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. V. K. Meredith, explained that one of the horses accused had stolen had been lost, and the other two were in the possession of people who had bought them from him. It would now be a matter for civil action to determine who owned the animals. Brady was sentenced to three years' hard labour.

OLD MAN'S OFFENCES. "This is one of the most serious cases of its kind I have had to consider," said his Honor in referring to the offences of Harry McLeod, aged 02, who admitted two charges of unlawful carnal knowledge of girls aged 12 and 16. "The condition of depravity to which you haye sunk is very grave indeed. I cannot take into consideration any abnormality. Mr. I. H. Macartliur, who appeared for prisoner, said the case had definite medical aspects. McLeod was not legally insane, but his state had been referred to by authorities as moral insanity. Medical examination had revealed that ho was mentally weak. Dr. T. G. Short, consulting physician in nervous and mental diseases, said _he had examined accused and found him mentally below normal, simple-minded, but not certifiable. His powers of resistance were also below normal; •"'.; .. Mr. Macarthur said McLeod had never before appeared in a Court. Unfortunately, there was not a "half-way house" in New Zealand, and although counsel realised that a term of imprisonment must be imposed, he asked that McLeod be dealt with leniently. Prisoner was sentenced to two years' reformative detention. POLICE REPORT UNFAVOURABLE. Two charges of forgery, one of uttering, and the theft of a suit of clothes were the offences admitted by George Henry Woods. Mr. Haigh, who appeared for prisoner, said that the offences had been committed four years ago. Just after that, he 'went to Wellington, where he was recently convicted of the theft of a battery. Accused had told counselthat at the' time. of. .the . offences, .his wife" and child were destitute. In view of the fact that his .record .was ?a reasonable one, counsel asked for probation. "The police report in your case is! unfavourable," said his Honor. "In. 1920 you were convicted of ; false pretences, and between then and 1933 your conduct has not been at all satisfactory. You are now doing a sentence of. three months, and it may be that the Prisons Board will consider your case. You will be sentenced, to two years', reformative detention, to be concurrent with.your present term." . v : > THREE OTHER OFFENDERS. "You committed these offences three years ago, but since then ;you, have behaved yourself, and I propose -to give you a chance," said his Honor to Edward Jay Young, who had pleaded guilty to! theft and receiving money on account of 1 another. ... , I

Mr. I. H. Macarthur appeared, for prisoner, who was admitted to. probation for two years. ~•

Although he had been convicted of a minor offence before, his Honor admitted Eric William Spear, charged with breaking, entering and theft, to two years' probation. "The probation officer, says you are simple-minded, easily ledj and not a criminal type," said his Honor. "I will give you another chance." .

Two years' hard labour was the sentence imposed on Edward Randell, who had pleaded guilty at Cambridge to two charges of forgery and two of uttering. "You have a record," said his Honor. "In 1924 you were convicted on six charges of theft, and you have also been convicted of unlawfully converting a motor car, vagrancy, and false pretences." WRONGLY COMMITTED. When Victor Joseph Hensley, who had pleaded guilty to the theft of a motor car appeared, Mr. Meredith said that prisoner had already appeared beforeMr. Justice Smith, but unfortunately on that_ occasion there had been informality in his committal. He had been wrongly committed, and had to be discharged, rearrested, and recommitted.

Mr. I. H. Macarthur said that. accused had now been two months in custody on a matter he had not yet been dealt with. "He is another of these street preachers," remarked His Honor as he glanced through his papers. Accused was stood down until this afternoon so that inquiries could be made.

When Hensley appeared this afternoon, his Honor said the probation officer had recommended probation. Accused had broken into a place and had stolen a motor car, an offence which was becoming far too common. Hensley was at present serving a sentence for theft. However, he would be stood over until next sentencing day.