THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17700, 28 February 1923, Page 7

THE COURTS.

SUPREME COURT.

(Before his Honour Mr Justice Adams.)

POSTAL OFFICIAL SENTENCED.

_ Albert Edgar Sanders, Post Office Savings Bank clerk, who confessed to the theft of £2O from the Savings Bank at Dunedin On August 2Sth, appeared ior sentence. Sanders, when arrested at Lyitelton, admitted the offence. He had associated with bad companions, and after he committed the theft, but before it was discovered, he took put a prohibition order against himself. He is twenty-eight years of age, single, h.-s oeen in the ponal service for thirteen vears, and was wounded in one lung in the war. Mr 0. T. J. Alpers, who appeared for him, asked for probation, which, he said probably would be granted if Sanders had been employed by a- private bank or firm. Mr A. W. Brown, acting-Crown Prosecutor, said that the Probation Officer did not recommend probation.

His Honour said that Sanders hnd betravcd *". is , tn,st a3 a servant of the public. The public s sen3e of ?ecuritv in the Savings Bank must be maintained. Sanders was in a different portion frorn that of a clerk privately employed, and he could not be given the benefit of the probation law. He wo.rild be sentenced to twelve months' detention for reformative purposes. MAGISTERIAL. TUESDAY. (Before Mr H. Y. Widdowaon, S.M.) MAINTENANCE. Sophia Gou.d.ng proceeded against her husband, Joseph dames iiouiding, lor separation, guaidiansmp and maintenance orders, on the gTounus of faioue to maintain. Ihe orders were made, maintenance ueing fixed at £2 per week. persistent cruelty and intending failure to maintain were the grounds on which Ada Johnstone (Mr E. ~Y\'. While), sought aeparation, guardianship and maintenance orders against her husband, Robert Bruce Johnstone (Mr W. F. Tracy). Mr White said the parties had been separated in 1916. The husband had indulged in punching his' wife from time to time since the first child was born. There were five children of the marriage. After hearing the evidence of both parties, the Magistrate made the orders and fixed maintenance at 10s per week for the wife and each of the. children. SOTJTHBRIDGE. (Before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.) Judgment was given for plaintiffs by default in Woods Bros. v. A. K. Hopa, claim £3 7s 7d for goods supplied, and same v. H. Home claim £l6 Gs 2d for goods supplied. For riding a motor-cycle at night without lights attached, Laonard Palmer, William Winchester, and Thomas. each fined 10s and costs. LEESTON. Nellie Palmer applied for a maintenance order and separation against her husband, Henry Leonard Palmer. Mr Ellingwood appeared for the applicant. The Magistrate, after hearing the evidence, said that the applicant had shown sufficient grounds under Section 18 of the Act why she should not go back to her husband. He would order that separation, maintenance, and guardianship orders he granted, maintenance to be 35s per week. The hearing was continued of a case, Edward Fell v. Frederick Shellock, claim £l3 4s for digging potatoes. The latter admitted the claim, but counter-claimed, £4O damages alleged to have been clused through the unsatis[aotory manner in -which plaintiff had carried out his contract. It was alleged that a considerable quantity of the potatoes had been damaged by the digser. The case was not finished when the Court ro=e for the day, and the remainder _of the evidence will be taken at another sitting.