SUPREME COURT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10955, 3 May 1901, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

' PRISONERS SENTENCED. His Honour Mr Justice Deruiiston sat to pass sentence at 10.30 a.m. yesterday. BREAKING AND ENTERING. Pia Cook, a Kaiapoi Maori, was brought up for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering, to which he had pleaded guilty in the lower Court. The prisoner handed in a statement stating that lis had been drinking at the time of the commission of the crime, and did not know what he was doing. His Honour said the report of the Probation Officer was favourable, and he thought, on the whole, he could give effect to the Probation Act, and allow the prisoner another chance. He must, however, understand that if he again committed any crime, tho one to which he bad pleaded guilty would bs brought against him, a.nd he would be punished. He would be admitted to probation for six months, the expenses, £3, to be refunded durinc the period.

EMBEZZLEMENT.

Augustus Moore was brought up for sentone?, having pleaded guilty to two cases of embezzlement. Mr Russell appeared for the prisoner, and

said that he stated that with regard to a sum of £340 which had disappsaral from the otiice of Renter's Asency up to October 51st. 1899. hs had nothing to do with. At this time ths keeping of the casii wa.. divided, and then it was fou.d tint ho was £..0 short ou Renter's ..-.count. II? carried forward this -balance month by month.. All the rnon--v was put int . on? box. ar.d tin- keepers of the cash-hooks went- to the box and took out cash as it- was required. The prisoner did not enter up fhe.e sums, and the system of book-keeping was very enid.. His Honour:' The ofiice was an accountants" ( ne. was it. not ? Mr Rust-ell replied in the affirmative. When the. prisoner found himself short h? did not inform his employers, and forged a certificate to the effect tint the money was in the b.ink. Ilis wages, he might say, though lie handled largo sums, were paid very irregularly. At one time five months' wages were paid hy cheques. Subsequently the prisoner a.nd a man named Falvey bought a They stared in Christchurch, where they lost £340. and subsequently they toured a. company through New Zealand, with ih-e result that a total of £1500 was lost. The details of the accounts in eonn.-tiun with the kinematogra.ph had been fu mi-shed to ihe ag.-r.t_ of Renter in Melbourne, who was here. The svse-em of keeping the cash in the otiice had b-en most elementary, aud it was oniy when Mr J. H. Stringer, who purchased the. busiI ness from Cook and Cray. came, into the ! office, that the matter was found out. Tlir Probation Officer had mad? enquiries, which ho understood wer? of a favourable diameter. His Honour said t-h.s was a case in which one felt regret that duly to society prevented a course, being taken which one would like to take, particularly where, it was wilh regard to a'young man like the prisoner. A very large amount, of money had been stolen, which was only rendered possible, by the amount of confidence reposed in the prisoner. Though tbe offence was one in which a substantial sentence should be imposed, taking into consideration the youth of the prisoner a sentence of eighteen months' imprisonment on each case, to run concurrent!v, would be imposed.