LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 4

LAW REPORTS.

SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SITTING. PRISONERS SENTENCED. Mr. Juctieo Chapman presided over a criminal sitting of tho Supremo Court yesterday. THEFT OF A BICYCLE. Raukawa Huru, a youth, who Had pleaded guilty to a charge of having stolen a bicvclo at, Wairoa, was presented for sentence. Upon being asked whethor lie had anything to say ivhy sentenco should not lie passed on him, prisoner shook his head and replied in tho negative. "His Honour drow attention to tho desirableness of having an interpreter in attendance. "When a Maori prisoner is brought up for sentence, even if ho professes to bo able to speak. English,-it'is always bettor," lie observed, "to have, someone to explain tho sentenco to him."

- 'Subsequently, after tho sorvices of an interpreter had beon obtained, the Crown Prosecutor informed tho Court that tho prisoner had been admitted to probation for twelve months on a.charge of burglary. During that period, ho continued, prisoner had been convicted of • breaking and entering, and sentenced to-six months' imprisonment;, Ho had-also, later, been sentenced to- two- months': imprisonment oil each of three charges of theft. His Honour said that it was very difficult to know what to do with simpletons like tho prisonor, as tlioy appeared to enjoy prison--. life. - It was no use being leniont to a prisoner who committed a. crime involving dishonesty, whonever ho got tho chance. Ho would sentence- prisonor to twelve months' .'imprisonment/ with hard 'labour:' •• ,M- - FORGERY OF A. CHEQUE. Raniera, alias Daniel, To flan, a young man, who had admitted, jn the Lower Court, having altered tho amount of a cliequo from £2 to £12 at Wairoa, was next Jet forward. './His Honour said that the case was ■ not ,ari ; ordinary orio-of fabrication of a cheque. Prisoner had . fraudulently altered. tho amount of .a cliequo. It came to tho sanio thing so far .as the offence was concerned. Ho noticed that ''prisoner, was' sentenced to twelve months', iinjjtisom'qcnt. ' for. forgery vsome;.tiiiio ago', at; GisJjorne.,': That seemed to havo had no effect in pirevcriting prisoner from acting dishonestly again.'; He must sentence- him to a longer term on this occasion. Prisoner would be sontenced to two years' imprisonment.-. ; A CONFIRMED,. FORGER. John' Simpson, alias George M'Coombo, alias M'Guire, a middle-aged man, intimated ; thbrt''ho had-'nothing to say why sentenco should bo passed on. him on a charge of having,'at Napier,'forged .the name "Donald .MfKinnon'.' r to;.a, cheque for £20 10s. od., and uttered the same as if it were genuine. .■' :The.Cr6wri''Prosecutor informed the Court that .prisoner, had previously been sentenced to'fivo terms, aggregating nine months, 1 for larceny, .;and'.to- six.: terms, totalling seventeen years, for forgery. His Honour "said.'that successive sentences .of imprisonment had ,had no effect whatever on _ prisoner. Since the last occasion on which..hoi.hnd been-sontenced a law liioro suitable to his case had been brought nnto oxistenco. Tho sentence of the Court would bo'.that .prisoner"':bo v ..incai'derated for three years, with,"'hard, labour,;-;'ftnd be declared an habitual criminal.' :," I ALLEGED INDECENT ASSAULT; " ; John' Hogan', a -young'.-married" many- was charged with having, at Brooklyn, indecently assaulted • a-girl under -twelvo .years of-age. It will be romoinbered that prisoner was .tried - piiv tho-. -.previoust tho' jury aisagroed after a retirement 'of rfour jiours..., ¥ r Mr.-"Wilford; defended 1 , tho.: prisoner, r ' His Honour' made an order forbidding ' tho publication of "the evidence. The jury,' which retired at 1.35, returned 'at :- 2,35' with i- a verdict -of not guilty,': and tho prisoner'was discharged. ' f .?