FOUR PRISONERS SENTENCED

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22550, 4 November 1938, Page 10

FOUR PRISONERS SENTENCED

SUPREME COURT SESSION GAOL TERMS FOR ROBBERY AND HOUSEBREAKING Four prisoners were sentenced by Mr Justice Northcroit in the Supreme Court yesterday. Two were sentenced to imprisonment for two years, one for robbery and the other tor housebreaking. A third was sent to Borstal and the fourth was placed on prob£,Edward Arthur Halligan. a youth appeared for sentence on charges or housebreaking with theft and breaking into premises with intent to comMr A.' W. Brown, for the Crown said that Halligan had been remanded to see if some suitable position could be found in which to place him. ine Probation Officer reported that it had not been possible to do this. His Honour said he would .therefore have to deal immediately with Halligan. The prisoner had twice previously been convicted for a similar offence. He was placed on probation once in the Magistrate's Court and also by himself in the Supreme Court, yet within a month of the granting of probation Halligan committed the same type of offence again. In the circumstances the only thing to do was to deal strongly with him. ■ Halligan was ordered to be detained in a Borstal institution for three years. ROBBERY CHARGE Cyril James Martin-Leverson appeared for sentence on a charge of robbery. He was not represented by counsel, but made a written submission to his Honour. His Honour said that the prisoner had asked for probation, but with his record that was impossible. He was only 24, but his record went back five years. In 1933 he was convicted of theft, and in 1935 he was again convicted of theft and was sent to Borstal. This offence now under the consideration of the Court was an exceedingly serious one. The fact that the pistol the prisoner presented at other persons was incapable of doing what they imagined it might did not affect the seriousness of the crime. Martin-Leverson was sentenced to ' imprisonment with hard labour for two years. BREAKING AND ENTERING. Edward Helmslcy Dawson and John Frederick Eager (Mr D. W. Russell) appeared for sentence on three charges of breaking and entering with theft, involving entry to a warehouse, a school, and a shop. Mr Russell said that Eager, who was aged 22, had been in no trouble till he came to be associated with Dawson this year. It might be claimed that it was due to Dawson that Eager was in his present position. Dawson blamed his actions upon drink. His Honour said that Dawson's record extended back over 20 years, and in the last several years he had apparently spent most of his time either in gaol or qualifying to go back there. He had entertained grave doubt whether for the protection of the community Dawson should not now be declared an habitual criminal. If he appeared before the Court again he could expect to see this done. - Dawson was sentenced to imprisonment for two years with hard labour. Eager was placed on for two years.