SENTENCED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 139, 15 June 1939, Page 13

SENTENCED.

SIX PRISONERS.

SOME LONG TERMS.

USE OF EXPLOSIVES.

PREVALENCE IN AUCKLAND,

Two men who had been concerned in tlie use of explosives for the purpose of safe-breaking were among six prisoners brought before Mr. Justice Fair in the Supreme Court today for sentence, and the Crown Prosecutor took occasion to remark on the recent prevalence of this crime in Auckland.

'"It will never happen again." declared Daroy Maunsell Bennett (aged 22 ye art-) while his com pan ion. Patrick Kdwin (irove (aged 24 year?) intimated that he had nothing to say. Bennett and (irove were ill the dock for sentence on two charges of breaking and entering warehouses - , while Bennett had further admitted a charge of theft, and (.irove one of receiving.

A Dangerou3 Crime. Mr. V. li. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, drew attention to the fact that a quantity of gelignite and detonators was found in the bod of a room occupied by the prisoners. "Safe-blowing is very rife in the community at the present time,"' added Air. Meredith. "Recently three post office safes have been subjected to gelignite explosion, while in another instance a building of the value of £4000 was destroyed by ignition of blankets used ill a similar explosion. I Of course, I do not suggest these men were concerned in these, but I wish to draw attention to the present prevalence of the class of crime admitted by the prisoners." His Honor remarked that Bennett had a bad record in the past, had been given an opportunity of which he did not avail himself, and then had been given a term of imprisonment. The former offences showed apparently that the prisoner was addicted to drink and, when drunk, behaving in a disorderly way. He had. on the whole, been treated with great leniency, and instead of making use of the opportunities given him had embarked on crime and endeavouring to steal by the use of I explosives in safe-breaking.

"It should be made clear by the sentence I have to impose that a deliberate and dangerous crime of this kind must be met by a substantial punishment, and will, save in most exceptional cases, result in a heavy term of imprisonment," added his Honor. "You, Bennett, will be sentenced to three years' imprisonment with hard labour."

Remarking that, as a sailor who had deserted his ship 15 months ago. Grove had no former conviction in this country and had therefore to be regarded as a first offender, his Honor senten<-ed the prisoner to two years' reformative detention.

BREACH OF TRUST. The prisoner's exemplary domestic life as husband and father, and good service for a long period with his employers until pressure of debt caused him to yield to temptation, were pleaded by Mr. T. Henry on behalf of Walter Kenneth Reeve, aged 43 years, who had admitted theft of money* from a company by which he was employed. The debt, incurred at a time when entering on a second marriage, had led to gambling as a way of overtaking the deficiency, and then to taking the employer's money for gambling in the hope of paying the debt and replacing the money taken, was counsel's explanation of the prisoner's plight. The case, said his Honor, was not one for probation, even giving full weight to all that counsel had urged on the prisoner's behalf. Over a period of about 18 months a sum of approximately £350 had been taken, apparently much more than was required to overtake a debt. The least sentence he felt he could impose was a period of IS months' reformative detention.

MAORI AND WIFE GAOLED.

A \oung Maori and his wife, from Kaikolie, wore eaeli sentenced to two years' reformative detention. Lucy Howard Abraham appeared on two charges of forgery and two of uttering, and with Simon Abraham was jointly charged on two counts of breaking and entering and theft by dav. "I want to say that my husband had nothing to do with it. He thought he could help me out," said tile youn" woman. c Speaking of Abraham, his Honor said he could see no reason for the belief that he did not commit the breaking and entering offences, which he had admitted. His wife wanted to excuse him. but his statement showed that he was associated with her in all the breakin" and entering offences. ~ "You have preferred to live an idle, lazy and dishonest life," said his Honor, "in spite of a good education. You require a term of imprisonment for discipline and reform. "The wife, in spite of a previous Borstal detention, has continued a dishonest and shiftless life," continued his Honor. "This may be partly due to the husband's influence, but it may also be put down to lior own disposition."' On each charge both accused were sentenced to two years' reformative detention, the terms to be concurrent. OLD MAN'S OFFENCE. '"This olTeiue seems to have been partly due to senile decay," said his Honor, when Alfred Le Huquet. 77 years of aire. ap|>eared for sentence on a charge of indecent assault of a female at Hnntly. For Le Huquet, Mr. Trevor Henry said lie was a native of the Jersey Islands and had served in the Boer and Great ANars. He lived alone in a bach in the countrv.

"Hi.s circumstances are such that he lia<l not even a shirt to wear before one was supplied by the prison authorities," said counsel. "The Salvation Army is prepared to help hiin. A prison term at his age might prove fatal." Commenting that some restraint was essential, his Honor admitted Le Huquet to probation for three yea re, on condition that he enter some home or institution during that time.