GAOL SENTENCE TO STAND

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28700, 25 September 1958, Page 16

GAOL SENTENCE TO STAND

Judge Dismisses Appeal

There had to be some limit to the degree of leniency that, the Court could extend on washing-up charges, Mr Justice Haslam said in the Supreme Court yesterday when he dismissed an appeal by John Henry Abbott, against a three months’ prison sentence.

Abbott was convicted in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court on September 11 for false pretences and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment to be, served on completion or a 12 months’ prison term earlier imposed. Mr C. M. Roper, for the Crown, said that Abbott was sentenced in April at Auckland to 12 months’ imprisonment for theft and was later sentenced to concurrent terms of three and six months. Appearing in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court on a false pretences charge he was sentenced to an additional term of three months’ to be served cumulatively with the initial sentence. Abbott claimed that the latter offence was known to the police when he was convicted on the previous charges and should have been dealt with then.

'lis Honour said the appellant had been convicted 23 times since 1949 on various charges and the additional penalty imposed by the Magistrate was merited.