ESCAPE FROM PRISON

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24406, 4 November 1944, Page 3

ESCAPE FROM PRISON

—#— ADDITIONAL SENTENCE IMPOSED (P.A) ' AUCKLAND, Nov. 3. A plea that he should not be placed on the list as an habitual criminal and a statement that he had been overwhelmed by mental torture through having been so declared, was made by John Henry Wilson, aged 27, who escaped from the Auckland Prison in July, when he appeared before Mr Justice Fair to-day for sentence. He was charged with escaping from lawful custody and with resisting an effort for his lawful apprehension later by assaulting Detective Jones. A charge of being a rogue and vagabond in that he escaped from prison was preferred also, but his Honour said this charge was really a survival of early Victorian legislation and that escaping from prison did not really make a man a rogue and vagabond. As an alternative charge it should be withdrawn. Mr V. R. Meredith. Crown Prosecutor, agreed to withdraw that charge, but reminded his Honour that Wilson had three escapes in his list. In his plea, Wilson said it was the mental torture he was suffering that had actuated him in escaping, though before his escape he had done his best to do what was required of him. His Honour told the prisoner that he had previous convictions for escaping and had been given chances by lenient treatment which had been abused. It was to the prisoner’s credit that none of the offences had been accompanied by violence. For making his escape Wilson would have nine months added to his present sentence, and for resisting arrest a further three months would be added.