THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18603, 30 January 1926, Page 4

THE COURTS.

SUPREME COURT. prisoners sentenced. "This class offence (breaking and entering) scons to be becoming increasingly common " solid the Acting-Crown Prosecutor, Mr A 'W. Brown, in the Supreme Court yrstordav morninc. when seven prisoners, who had pleaded guilty in the Lower Court to various crimes, appeared before his Honour .Mr Justice Adams for sentence. His Honour said that in future th'j Court would have to take other means of dealing with such cases. Edward Teague had pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering at Kaikoura, also "to a charge of theft on the same occsiM °Jlr A. A. MeT.achlaii, who appeared lor the prisoner, said that the latter was an Australian, who, after serving in the (ireat AYar came to the Dominion and went on the land' Unfortunately, ho relinquished this occupation, and took a position at au hotel in Kaikoura. He was dismissed for drunkenness, and the next day went back to the hotel, from which he stole A'liO. He wn> found drunk nnd in bed at the hotel when arrested. Except for the present lapse he had a clean record. He was a good type of man. who should do well if he could get on the land again. Mr Brown said that there were too many such* cases coming before the Courts lately. In the present instance the prisoner, after being dismissed for drunkenness, broke into the bar of the hotel, and took the sum mentioned from the till. His Honour said that the prisoner, who had been employed as a porter at the hotel referred to, by his action in going back to the bed he usually slept in did not indicate that his crime was a practice, but was rather exceptional "on his part. His whole conduct satisfied his Honour that his lapse was due to excessive drinking. Prisoner would be given the benefit of the favourable view taken up bv the Probation Officer in respect of the case, and he would therefore be admitted to probation for a period of two Tears, provided he abstained from drinking during that' time, and paid the costs of the, prosecution, amounting to £1 Is, a month being allowed him in which to pay. A AVOSIAN GAOLED. "I was drunk, and did not know anything about it until the next morning," said Mary Joyce, an elderly woman, whose offence consisted in having committed theft from a dwelling, and who pleaded hard for mercy. His Honour said that it was painful to havo to deal with cases of this sort, in which the offender was a woman, but in the circumstances it would be merciful to put her away from temptation. She would accordingly be sentenced to twelve months' imprisonm'ent. DECLARED HABITUAL CRIMINAL. His Honour, reviewing the carer of Samuel A. Pudney, alias Ted Jones, alias Ted Smith, wiio had admitted three charges of breaking and entering'against him to be true, declared him to be an habitual criminal, and in addition sentenced him to- two years' imprisonment on each charge, tha sentences to be concurrent. Mr Brown said that the offences all arose 'out of dealings concerning cheques. Two had been committed in Ghristchurch and the other at Timaru. v In imposing the sentence mentioned, his Honour said that in view of the prisoner's record ho was unable to accept his statement that his present downfall was due to drink, although no doubt drink was the primary cause of his deciding on a criminal career. AN INEXPLICABLE CRIME.

Mr M. J. Gresson, who appeared on behalf of Norman Ralph Harrison, who had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a shop and committing a crime therein, said that the offence was the more inexplicable in that the prisoner, whose age was 31, had in the past borne a good reputation, and occupied a position in respect of which lie drew a salary of £4OO per annum, had charge of assets valued at thousands of pounds, and was not short of money. The facts of the case were that he and his brother went to a week-end camp, where they ran out of cigarettes. He could not get into the store, so ho went round to the back, where he smashed a window and helped himself to cigarettes, also 12s from the till, although at the irne he had money in his pocket. His Honour: How do you account for his action?

Counsel: I can't; it is one of those unexplainablo cases. It was difficult, said his Honour, to understand the motive o£ the prisoner in committing such a crime, which was not on quite the' same footing as a number of the other cases of breaking and entering with which he had dealt. Prisoner would be admitted to probation for two yeprs, and ordered to pay the costs of the ■ prosecution, amounting to £3 4s, as well as making restitution to the extent of £2 2s 6d. He would also have to take out a prohibition order against himself, and keep it. renewed during his period of probation. ORDERED REFORMATIVE TREATMENT. When Charles Edward Southerwood, aged 22, was set at the bar to bo sentenced on three charges of breaking and entering and theft, Mr McLachlan, who appeared on his behalf, said that the prisoner was backward physically as well as mentally. His condition was shown by his action in steuling some small trinkets and a small sum of money, while refusing to touch jewellery close by of a value of about £IOO.. His father, who almost spoiled him, gave him all the money he required, in consequenco of which there was really no need for him to steal it. His Honour said that the best way to deal with the caßo was to sentence the prisoner to reform treatment in the Borstal Institution for a period not exceeding two years, in' which event the Prisons Board could look into his case, and release him at any time they considered such a course daiirablo.

MAGISTERIAL. FRIDAY. (Before Mr H. A. Young, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. , On a charge of having been found drunk in Hereford street, a woman was remanded for a week. BROKEN ORDER. . Charged with having been found drank in the City on Thursday, and with having procured liquor during the currency of a prohibition order, Eldred Robert Faull, aged 64 years, plasterer, Christchurch, was convicted and discharged on the first count, and fined 20a, in default three days, on the Becond. THREE MEN ARRESTED. Arrested on Thursday, .three young .Christchurch men, l r red. Logie, aged 23 years, salesman; Charles Stanley James Dell, aged 23 years, clerk, and Dennis McGonagle Blake, aged' 20 years, french polisher, appeared charged with having broken and entered Albert Leslie Tucker's house on Wednesday. and having stolen ft suit, Blako was .'further separately charged with having broken and entered Henry Baker's warehouse and stolen a pinch bar, valued at 10s. All the men had previously been before the Court on another charge, but had then been bailed out of the lock-up. On Chief-Detective T. Gibson's application they wcro remanded to appear on February Sih. BY-LAW CASES. For cycling at night without lights the following defendants were fined 20s:—John Andrews, Ern. Anning, A.' J. Brunt, Reginald Dunn, John Harper, F. Harris, R, B. Hart, Or. McGlintock, Charles Ray. T. Killocli, C. Riach, and Robert Peters were each For having cycled on a footpath i. J. Kettenburg was fined . 50s, Violet, Twenlyman sa, and William Wilkms and Alfred Thorns each 20s. For pillion riding H. C. Kingston was ■fined 20s and costs. MOTORIST FINED £6. Stanley James Wilson, Opawa, on a charge of bein" tho unlicensed rider of a motorcycle, was lined JE3. On a second charsre of having driven a motor-cycle at night without lights ha was fined a further £3 ■under the City by-laws. DISMISSED. The case in which J. S. Bucker (Mr I*. P. Hill) was charged with having driven a motor-car at night without lights was dismissed. ■LEESTON. (Before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.) Robert, Berkley, Reginald Kidd, Charles Free, and James Campbell, charged with being illegally on the licensed ■premises o£ the Southbridge Hotel on Sunday, December 20th, when the police called at 12.10 p.m., were each fined 20s and costs. judgment was given for plaintiffs, by default in: Morgan, Watson and Co., Ltd. v. Hazel Millar, claim 16s 6d; G. McClatchie and Co Ltd. v. William Ward, £3 19s lid; same v. Arthur Nichols, £3 3s 8d; W. C. Shilton v. P. Thian, £59 Is. Zo order was mads in Scott and Blackwell v. W. Loughlin, claim for £l4 14s 6d on a judgment summons.