PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMES.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20920, 29 July 1933, Page 9

PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMES.

T DEATH CAUSED BY MOTOR CYCLIST. irtwEia AbSOCIAT;OX TELItiRAJI.) PALMERSTON NORTH. July 28. "You have pleaded guilty to an offence of a class which, unfortunately, is becoming very common in this country," said the Chief Justice (the Rt. Hon. .Sir Michael Myers), in sentencing Sidney Graham, 33 years of age, for negligently driving a motorcycle at Bunnythorpei on February 14, causing the death of Hopeta Raika Kereama and bodily injuries to Gordon Leslie Thompson and Julian Graham. "The position is such at present that the King's highway has become a place on which it is unsafe to be. That is a condition of affairs which, must, if possible, be remedied." Later his Honour added: "I never think of sentencing a person to imprisonment for negligence which amounts to no more or little more than an error of judgment. 1 am justified in saying that that is the attitude of all judges. The position is different where negligence is gross, or culpable, or arises from the misconduct of an accused in first getting inlo a state of intoxication, during which a negligent act is committed. That is exactly what you did. You drove a motor-cycle at night without a light, on the wrong side of the road and a collision occurred with an innocent victim. As a result of your culpable negligence one of your passengers was killed and another .seriously injured. The rider of the other motor-cycle was seriously maimed for life." A sentence of six months' imprisonment, without hard labour, was imposed. The present license was suspended and prisoner was debarred from obtaining a license for a further three years. Cyclist's Death. Samuel John Sullivan, jun„ aged 21 years, of Wanganui, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, without hard labour, for negligently driving a motor vehicle on April 28, causing the death of a cyclist, John Patrick O'Farrel. In this case his Honour said that he did not condemn a young man in ordinary circumstances lor taking a little liquor if he wished, but the State was at least entitled to expect that any person should refrain from indulging in intoxicating liquor when about to drive a motor vehicle which, unless properly controlled, might be dangerout to persons or property. His Honour added that accused consumed a little more than he admitted, though he was not in a state of intoxication within the meaning of the act. Accused was similarly debarred from holding a license, as in the case of Graham. Other prisoners were sentenced as follows: Leonard Laurence de Malmanche Tinui, Masterton, forgery, to come up for sentence if called on in two years, restitution, of £27 to be made; Bertie Stanley Pilcher, 19, Feilding, forgery, and Victor Colin Hirst, 19, Feilding. forgery and uttering, each probation for 12 months; Albert Edward Standen, Pahiatua, making a false document for insertion in the marriage register, probation for 12 months. DUNEDIN SENTENCES. [eZZSB ASSOCIATION TILEGBASf.) DUNEDIN, July 28. In the Supreme Court, Raymond Theodore Padman, aged 23 years, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with hard labour, for setting Are to Wimpennv's petrol station. The Crown Prosecutor drew attention to the perverse wickedness shown when after entering the place and stealing a miserable 12s 6d, accused was prepared to put the owner and the insurers to the heavy loss that would have been involved If the attempt to set fire to the place had succeeded. Robert James Linkston, aged 47, for fraudulent failure to account for £ll4 to the New Zealand Tung Oil Corporation, was sentenced to one year's reformative treatment. William John Jardine, aged 21, on seven charges, including robbery under arms at Balclutha, and breaking and entering, received concurrent sentences, which, in effect, mean five years' reformative treatment He held up a cashier in a store and stole £l9. Amongst his exploits was the commission of three crimes in one night, entering bedrooms and removing money while the occupants slept. "When all is said, it yet remains that you struck Smith to the ground with such force that his skull was fractured, stated his Honour Mr Justice Kennedy, in sentencing Arthur John Thomas Wilkinson, 28 years of age, to two years' reformative treatment on a charge of manslaughter arising from an incident in Rattray street on June 3, in which Peter Smith was struck. Smith died shortly after. Other prisoners were sentenced as follows:—Cecil Frederick Hill, breaking, entering, and theft, three charges, two years' reformative detention on each charge, sentences to be concurrent; James Wallace Shaw Aberrtethy, failing to account for money, nine months' reformative detention; Charles Percival Robert McCreath, William Arthur Stewart, and Albert Harris, attempted breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime, and breaking and entering a warehouse and com-, mitting theft, Harris, one year and two years' hard labour, the sentences to be concurrent; McCreath, ordered to be detained for reformative pur. poses for one year, and on another charge two years, the sentences to be concurrent; Stewart, sentenced on both of two charges to nine months' reformative detention, the sentences ito be concurrent. On a charge of ; receiving a quantity of stolen property belonging to Scott and Wilson, ■ Harris was sentenced to imprisonment , with hard labour for two years, the • sentence to be cumulative on the sentence he is at present serving, but con- . current with the sentences imposed that morning. Harris, on a joint I charge of receiving with Albert Sharp, was sentenced to tw6 years' imprison- ■ merit with hard labour, to be cumu- ; lative on his present sentence, but . concurrent with the others.