“The Press” In 1866

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31237, 8 December 1966, Page 20

“The Press” In 1866

December 8

A case has occurred in the Supreme Court within the last few days in which a most unexpected and unfortunate result appears to have arisen out of a series of mistakes. Mr Collett, a gentleman of very good character, and as all his friends believe, of unimpeachable honesty, was brought up before the Magistrates at Rangiora some time since upon a charge of sheepstealing, the accuser being Mr Innes, the owner of a station next to that of Mr Courage which Mr Collett was managing. It appears that Mr Collett bad merely been guilty of doing that which is done as a constant practice upon every station in the country; when he occasionally saw a crawler belonging to some strange flock on his run, he had killed it . . . It is somewhat strange that the Magistrates who heard the case, and who, living up in the country, must one would imagine, have been acquainted with the custom, should have committed the accused for trial at all on such a

charge; but we have heard that Mr Collett made no defence before the bench, preferring that the charge as it had been made should go before the Grand Jury—no doubt expecting it would have been at once thrown out The Grand Jury, however, found a true bill, and the petty jury a verdict of guilty. . . . They found Mr Collett guilty but recommended him to mercy because he had done it before!! The jury had just got a glimmering of the truth that could hardly be a felony which was a recognised custom; and so they recommended the prisoner to mercy really because they greatly doubted whether he was guilty of the crime at all. And we are bound to add that the sentence of the judge would almost seem to have partaken of the same doubt; for a sentence of three months for a man who really has been guilty of sheepstealing—a crime for which, only a few years ago men were hanged—is, to say the least, an unusually mild one.