SIX PRISONERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 287, 4 December 1941, Page 8

SIX PRISONERS

UP FOR SENTENCE

YOUNG OFFENDERS

GAOL TERMS ORDERED

Six prisoners came up for sentence before his Honor, Mr. Justice Callan, in the Supreme Court this morning, mainly on admitted charges of breaking and entering and theft. During the course of his remarks when sentencing youths his Honor referred to the number of cases which had come before the Court recently. Youths Sentenced Two years' detention in a Borstal Institution was the sentence imposed on William Edward Pratt, aged 18J, one of four youths who came up for sentence on a charge of. breaking and entering and theft in the Onehunga district. Prisoner had no counsel. His Honor said Pratt had been before the Magistrate's Court at Pukekohe for theft and had been admitted to probation for 12 months. In June, for a crime that may have been committed before, he had also been granted probation by an Auckland magistrate. However, he had not behaved in spite of warnings and now he was before the Court again for breaking and entering. It was necessary to impose a term of imprisonment.

Roy Gerald Keith Mac Donald, 18 years of age, who appeared in the dock in Territorial uniform to receive sentence on a breaking and entering and theft charge, was also not represented by counsel. His Honor recalled that prisoner had been before the Magistrate's Court in June, 1941, facing two charges of unlawful conversion of cars and had been convicted and discharged. Seven days later he appeared before the Court again on a similar charge and was admitted to probation for two years. His present offence followed warnings by the Onehunga police as to the bad company he was keeping.

Prisoner was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a Borstal institution.

John Henry Sidney Keane, aged 17, who had admitted two charges of breaking, entering and theft, told his Honor he had had a variety of jobs and that his average earnings were about 25/ a week.

His Honor said prisoner had been before the Pukekohe Court for theft in May and had appeared before the Court in Auckland in June on a similar charge, being admitted to probation for 12 months. As in the other cases, he had been warned by the police but had not mended his habits of late hours and general behaviour. He had beer in his possession, young as he was, when ne was arrested.

His Honor sentenced prisoner to two years' detention in a Borstal institution on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent.

"Easily Led" "This young man's trouble has been due to the fact that he was easily led," said Mr. Allan J. Moody in asking' the Court's leniency for Colin John Ross, who also came up for sentence on a charge of breaking, entering and theft. "There is every hope that this young man can be saved and made into a good citizen."

His Honor said it so happened that Mr. Moody's suggestion was the very course he had decided upon. Ross' record was good, but it seemed that he had chosen his company unwisely and had not displayed sufficient strength of character to keep himself away' from the breaking and entering escapade of the previous prisoners.

Ross was admitted to probation for, a period of three years on the condition that he should pay out of his own earnings £21 as restitution and also the costs of the prosecution.

Three Years' Probation

"This is a sad case, in as much as this young man is not up to the usual standard of intelligence," said Mr. K. C. Aekins, in appealing for leniency for Trevor Ifeland, aged 18, who came up for sentence for incest. In asking probation, counsel said arrangements could be made to place the youth with a relative in the city, though it might be better if he was placed at work in the country.

"After careful, consideration I think the prisoner has been unfortunate in the main, rather than deliberately guilty," said his Honor in admitting Ireland to probation for three years, a special condition being that he should pay the costs of the prosecution out of his earnings. In reply to a plea by counsel that Ireland's name should be suppressed, his Honor said the public was entitled to know who it was trusting.