CRIME PUNISHED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 190, 14 August 1933, Page 8

CRIME PUNISHED.

PRISONERS' TERMS.

VARIETY OF OFFENCES

THIEVING AMONG MAORIS.

Prisoners who liacl pleaded guilty to a variety of offences appeared for sen- j lence before Mi*. Justice Herdman in j the Supreme Court this morning. "As you have already been dealt with, I I do not propose to add further to your sentence," said his Honor to Leonard Otto Hardy, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering a! warehouse and theft. "You will have to i

serve a term of two years already imposed on you, and you will have to wait until the Prisons Board think it wise to give you your freedom. You will be sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, the term to run concurrently with your present sentence." "A BAD CASE." Sentence of two years' hard labour was imposed on Thomas Kelly, a Maori, for assault, causing actual bodily harm, at Opotiki.

"I am very sorry for what I have done," said prisoner, in answer to the usual question.

His Honor said it was a bad case of its sort. It appeared that prisoner had gone into the police station at Opotiki,' and, without any justification, had violently attacked a man, knocked him down and probably broken his jaw. Prisoner had a long list of previous convictions, starting in 1923. It was in the best interests of the country that ho should bo locked up.

PROBATION GRANTED. Probation for two years was granted William George Peckham, who had pleaded guilty to charges of forgery and uttering.

Mr. J. J. Buter said prisoner had gone into a relief camp voluntarily. Previously his character had been good. He went home to his wife and five children on one occasion and found them practically without clothes. Except, for a few shillings spent in wine, all the money had been spent on clothes.

A favourable report had been presented by., the probation officer, said his Honor. Prisoner's behaviour until the time of the offence had been good, and his Honor proposed to grant probation, but if prisoner's behaviour was not good he could be arrested and brought before the Court again.

MAORIS AND CRIME. "Crime and .thieving are becoming far too common among the Maoris of the North, and it seems that they will have to be taught by a process of punishment that the laws of the country must be obeyed." said his Honor, in sentencing three young Maoris, John Hita, Johnnie Poti and George Bentley. They had admitted a charge of breaking and entering and theft from a shop at Dargaville.

Mr. W. Noble, who appeared for the prisoners, said Bentley had not known a father or a mother. In the case of young Maoris and crime, it had become very difficult for the Court to deal with them for the reason that tho native mind looked on these matters differently. He asked that the fact that the three young men were Maoris be taken into consideration.

"Bentley has not been in trouble before, the police report is favourable, and he will be admitted to probation for two years," said his Honor. "Both Hita and Poti have been-convicted before, and one of them lias been in a Borstal institute. They will both bo (sentenced to two years' detention in a Borstal institute." RESORTED TO THEFT. Leslie Dickson (Mr. Nigel Wilson) was sent to gaol for two years with hard labour, and Leonard Spencer Teehan (Mr. Maxwell Walker) was admitted to probation for two j'ears on charges of breaking, entering, and theft from shops. Mi-. Wilson said Dickson was only 27 years of age, and. up until three years ago his record had been a good one. "Since ho .came out- of prison some months ago lie has been earning a little by means of playing the piano at parties," said Mr. Wilson. "Recently he became engaged to a young woman whom he was to havo married. He is now at the crossroads of his lite, and I suggest that a lenient term would help him to realise that he has a duty to his country." His Honor: It is always difficult to understand the folly of a young man who resorts to crime. The only thing I can do is to send you back to gaol.

/ "Teehan's case is quite different," said his Honor after indicating to Mr. Maxwell Walker that lie proposed to grant probation. "Apparently he was under the influence of the other man."

TO BE EXAMINED. An admission of theft as a servant at Putaruru was made by Walter John Baskiville, and his case was stood down for a week so that he could be medically examined by the prison doctor. "He is a married man with four children, and before this offence he had an unblemished record," said Mr. Vialoux on prisoner's behalf. "He was a Main Body man who served during the whole period of the war, was shot in the stomach and subsequently developed tuberculosis. He has been in and out of hospital for year 3, and now the disease has a grip of him. He has been working for the Public Works Department, and early this year he got leave of absence because he was not well. He was.not fit again when he returned, and started drinking as a stimulant." Prisoner's drinking had eaten into the resources of the family, and to keep his family going he had started stealing benzine and selling it at 1/ a gallon. His Honor: He will not divulge the names of the people to whom he sold it? Mr. Vialoux: No, sir. He says he does not want to bring trouble to the wives and families of others. He proposes to be the hero. He sold about 500 gallons, I worth about £50. I

MEETING.