LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 76, 23 December 1907, Page 9

LAW REPORTS.

i SUPREME COURT. ■'criminal sittings. . PRISONERS SENTENCED. ' ': His . Hdn'our Mr. Justieo Button passed sentence .on several prisoners on Saturday morning. i ~ • Mr. G. H.'Foll appeared on behalf of the CroiVn. - THEFT OF A CHEQUE. James Lowis, a young mail, who had ploadod guilty to tho theft of a cheque for £4C 10s., tho -property of Robert Hannah and Company, was sot forward. Mr. C; H. Izard, who appoared on bohalf of prisoner, informed tho . Court that tho young man airived in tho Dominion in De-. cember 1905. From tho dato of his arrival until December last ho was in the employ of Mcsrs. Hannah and Company. Subsequently he.bocamo a nowspapor'runner. Ho was tempted to commit the offence owing to the fact that ho was in arrears. Ho cashed the cheque at tho London Piano Company's warehouse, whoro ho purchased a . piano valu6d'at £52 10s.,.paying a dbposifc of £15 and receiving the balance of £31 10s. in cash.. After settling up several accounts ho had £17 10s. over. !, His Honour: It seoms a strange thing for a young man who was /'hard up" to purchase. a-|piano. '.;'.". • Counsol, resuming, pointod out that his cliont must,havo thought that ho would have a hotter chance of getting tho cheque cashed if ho purchased something valuable. Amongst prisoner's papors wero lotters of reoramondation from a" minister and tho head-master of the school in tho village at Homo in which lif.'was: brought up. ' Whilst in the employ of Messrs. Hannah and Company, prisoner foil.down a lift, and as a result his montal balance; was liable to bo temporarily upset; Counsel asked that prisoner bo granted probation. ! His H6nour: I can't see my .way to admit prisoner to-probation. The'crime to which he has pleaded guilty is a very serious, one. Ho went into tho shop in which he was formerly omplojed, concoaled himself 'until everybody had ioft'tho building, and then committed tlm offonco, and broke' bis', Vay out.' It is his first offenco, and I hope he will turn over a new leaf. The'vsontehco of..tbo; Court is that he be imprisoned for six, months, and kept at hard labour. .-',..' On tho application of Mr. Fell, tho. amount found in prisoner's possession was ordored to be handed over, to tho, Loudon Piano Company. -~.!.. . ~-,. >,-.'

FORGERY AND UTTERING. . Charles Burnoy, aged 29 years, ■ who : bad pleaded guilty- to having.sent a .false tolegram., also to forgory and- uttering, intimated that he had nothing to say why sentence should not be passed upon him. His Honour: Several .convictions are' recorded, against ' this prisoner—threo for false .proten'ces, ono for theft, and several f.o>! minor offencos. It seems a pity for so young a man to have such a record;. I shall givo nim another chance, and pass a light sentence. . , '■■"'.. ~1 Mr. Fell: Other charges are pending against him,at Christchurch. -.! ■.. . .His'.Honour':' I have nothing, to do with that. I can't take that fact into consideration. '■■ On the charge of forgery and uttering ho will'bo imprisoned for twolvo months, and. kept at, hard labour, and oiv the .charge of sending a false telegram ho will bo imprisoned for six months without hard labour, the sentonces to' be^coriciirront. The sum of 20s. 6d.,. found in prisoner's possession, was ordered to bo returned to., tho party who cashed the cheque?"-;•■'*"£ ■Thomas Hondersoni aged 19 year-si; wh'p had' admitted having committed forgery:and ufc-' tering, was.set forward. , .''■." ,•■.-' ' .-.-. •■'•His Bu'shbridge 1 ?'-'-!">; .& r tisuiki. ,U'nf'.;£enn3i-,f;K • Prisoner: Yes. /, ''...-;.:::.'- Lin His Honour: I find--that you havo beon before the Court twice.previously on.charges of theft; ' The'present chargo is of a incan jcharactcr. * You' box bplorigi'ng to a' room-mato, secured.''his'' Savings Bank' pass-book, a;hd'by forging 'his namb obtained' two sums of monoy from.,tho, authorities. I shall deal with you as. leniently' as possible. You will bo imprisoned for twelvo months on each charge with- hard labour, the sentences to bo' ,'cdncurrent. ':•■-'■' ' i FORGERY; : . ,': ' ; Frodk. Newman, alias, Winter,' 33',yearsof age, informed tho Court that he had-no recollection ;of what transpired about the date on which' ho committed the offence-to which he had pleaded guilty! ! ■ ■:•',-. . His. Honour: In ■ your .'■ written statemeritto'tho Court allogo that you,-met' with a sevore accident in March last, tho result being that your rnih'd'was affected.' However, I- see by your record that'your criminal carper, commenced two months before:.tho accident occurred. , In January you received a very light sentence at'Wanganui for theft. 1 am unable tc overlook, tho soriousnoss-of tho offence. No oxcuso can bo made,for you. i The sentonco'of the Court is "that •you..-bo' imprisoned for -twelvo' months;, -and kept at hard labour.