SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 150, 19 March 1908, Page 5

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

PALMERSTON CASES. - (BY TELEGr.Ani—SMCIAI, CORRESPONDENT.) ■ Palmerston North, . March 18. : stabbing t "Constable Coniior, was"br'oiigh't up for .sentence.. Mr.'lnnes, on behalf-of tho prisoner, made- an'appeal'for leniency. His Honoursaid lie' 'could 'not allows the offeh'co to go unpunished, 1 the <af trome agi,. of the -, prisoner.,. -The.: case: had given him- a great deal of anxiety, bccause he believed that there was no intent to do the .constablo an' injury; Addressing the prisoner,' His Honor said ho would bo fined £10(j,'and ordered to find sureties, :self £200, and'two of ; £100. Ho advised "the prisoner when ho camo to.town not to drink.

' MANGAWEKA ASSAULT CASE. •' Charles Fitton,' found guilty of assault with intent to do bodily harm, was fined £100, and ordered to' find sureties, self £500, and two of £250. :The..judge remarked'that prisoner's action, was that.of a- man' with an unsound mind. He imposed a fine bccause prisoner had been a respected pioneer 'of the Mangaweka district. ! ■ . ? -. PECULIAR MANSLAUGHTER CASE: ; Emanuel White, was chargpd with . manslaughter. : Evidence' was given that in December /'last accused ' put tiro''children oil a horse, 'and iii trotting along 'they fell'o#,. ono' —Lucy. Gbldhnch—receiving injuries which ter-minated-fatally. ; Alice, Stubbs. stated that she had been .with deceased on tho.horsp and had fallen off. Prisoner told them not to make .the''horse go too fast. His Honour said this was a peculiar case, and' a similar one had probably never been before a Court before. They had to consider whether the conduct of prisoner was that of gross.negligenco. 'The circumstance, would have been different if tho horse had boon a .dangerous one. A verdict of. not guilty- was returned. Frederick James Symons and Albert D. Brown, alias/Browner were charged with .'having' assaulted ' and robbed Robert Patterson of a bottle of whisky and 7s. 6d. iii money on December 21, ,at Shannon., Evi,'denc.e was given by M. Gibson that ho saw one of tho. accused running away after the robbery - took place. : The: jury returned a verdict; of guilty'against both accused, who were sentenced io two and a-half ' years' hard labour.

John ; Chalker pleaded iiot guilty to a charge of- stealing £14 from G. Wilcocks at •Palmerston North on,, December 9, also to ■using violence. It appeared that accused had' been drinking with prosecutor, and it was alleged ho took him "out at the back of the" Royal Hotel, and knocked him down. A verdict, of not guilty was returned.

Patrick Walsh was charged with breaking and entering with intent to'commit a crime at Tokomaru. Margaret'Stevens stated that accused entered .her room at . Mr. Guy's boaTdinghouse and threw - her on the floor, .but she managed to ©scape. Tho jury returned! a verdict of guilty, and accused was ■sentencod to two yeare' hard ' NEW PLYMOUTH. ' . (BT IELEOEAPIl —PREBR ASSOCIATION.) New Plymouth, March 18. The Supreme Court Criminal Sessions opened to-day beforo Mr. Justice Edwards. Albert Hugo Korth pleaded not guilty to. a charge of false pretences. by means, of . a valueless cheque at Stratford. He was found; guilty and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, and ordered to the habitual offenders' prison "at New_ Plymouth,! lie having a longrecord of convictions. Sandy Birch,, alias Brown, alias Johnson, pleaded not guilty., to a charge of theft, of a saddle and' bridle and breastplate. He was said to bo an old-offender, and was sentenced to two years;,-hard .labour. - .A. : J. Stewart pleaded not guilty to a charge of common assault on Detective' Boddain,, and assaulting with intent'to commit actual bodily harm.' He was found guilty and sentenced to three months' hard labour. Leonard Copestake, a lad of IG, came up for sentence for forging and uttering a cheque at Inglewood. On account of his youth' lie was admitted to probation for two years, and ordered to pay tho costs of the prosecution in instalments.