CRIME PUNISHED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 249, 21 October 1935, Page 3

CRIME PUNISHED.

VARIOUS OFFENCES.

"A MOST- STUPID THEFT." ARRESTED ON WEDDING DAT. A number of prisoners who had pleaded guilty in the Lower Courts to various offences were brought before Mr. Justice Callan and dealt with at the Supreme Court this morning. "I don't understand in the least what prompted this man to do this sort of thing. He is not one of the ordinary criminal class—the offence shows he has not the intelligence for that," said his Honor when admitting Stanley Gracie to probation for two yeare. Prisoner had admitted a charge of theft. Mr. Dyson, for the prisoner, said the latter was 24 vears of age, and up to the present had had an unblemished character. He had worked in one position for 10 years and had resigned to buy a business at Manurewa. The theft he had committed was a most stupid one—he had stolen clothing from a warehouse in order to bolster up his stock. He had been arrested on either the morning or the eve of the day fixed for his marriage. "House Without Food." Russell Royden Beard, aged 17, on three charges of breaking and entering and theft was placed on probation for two years. Mr. McLiver, for the accused, said the boy's parents had been divorced, and the boy had lived with his mother. They were short of food, and four days before the boy committed the offence there was no food at all in the house. That was verified when the police visited the home. It was ini the hope of getting some food that the boy had broken and entered the dwelling he did. His Honor said he quite believed the eerious condition the boy and his mother were in at the time.

Charles Arthur Hansen appeared for sentence on a, charge of breaking and entering and theft. He was not represented oy counsel. His Honor said he had sentenced Hansen to two years' hard labour in September and he took it that the present offence had come to light since. Prisoner would be sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour, to be concurrent with the sentence he was now serving. Girl Uninjured. "I agree that in this case the young woman suffered no harm of any kind. As Major Perry, of the Salvation Army, says he will have the man in the Salvation Army's industrial home, I will admit him to probation for two years," said his Honor in dealing with William Thomas Jackson (Mr. Aekins),, aged 69, who had admitted a charge of indecent assault. Mr. Aekins said the conditions at Te Kuiti, where the offence took place, were not all that could be desired. No injury, either physical or moral, had been done to the girl. Leonard Harris, who had nothing to say, was sentenced to 18 months' reformative detention. Harris had admitted breaking and entering the post office at Hunua, but had not stolen anything.

False Pretences. John Edward Calvert (Mr. Noble), who admitted attempting to obtain a motor car by a false pretence, was admitted to probation for two yeafe. Calvert had previously appeared before his Honor, who had ordered him to be medically examined. The medical officer reported that Calvert was not mentally deficient.