LAW REPORTS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 961, 31 October 1910, Page 3

LAW REPORTS

SUPREME COURT. PRISONERS UP FOR SENTENCE. THEFT OF A GREYHOUND. Several prisoners who had pleaded guilt}' in the Lower Courts were sentenced by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) on Saturday morning. Mr. T. Neavo appeared for the Crown. Harry Neil, alias Henry Lewei'S, alias Alfred Lister, alias Harry Cook (whose case had been adjourned from tho previous week pending receipt of a police- report), was again placed in the dock to be sentenced for theft of a. greyhound, valued at £30, a dog-slip valued at £1 55., and a dog cover valued at 7s. 6d., the property of E. P. Syme, at Waverley. Mr. R. IS. Williams represented tho prisoner. The prisoner, who had been sentenced four years ago to twelve months imprisonment for stealing a bicycle, was working at his trade as a painter at Waverley when he was given charge' of tho dog by Mr. Syme. Trade becoming slack, he went elsewhere to look for work, and took the dog with him. Ho sold the dog in Wellington, and went on to Blenheim. There, he was arrested, and he subsequently bought back the dog, and ; it was sent to. tho owner. „ His Honour said that, from the report which he had received, it appeared that all the time since the prisoner was last convicted/ some years ago, he had behaved Well, and worked hard, and was well spoken of wherever he had been. He conld not put on probation, but, in order to give him a last chance, would order him to como up for sentence when called upon. The prisoner would also be required to send three' letters to tho probation officer at intervals of two months, to say how ho was getting on. . . •. DRINK AND A MAORI.. ' Another case, which had ■ been adjourned from the previous Saturday, was that of To Roro Tokaiawa, a young Maori, who had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering ! the. dwelling of Heko Te Wiwi,' at Moturoa, New Plymouth, and stealing three pieces of greenstone. His Honour said tho police report was not a favourable one. Prisoner had apparently received £100 from the Government in connection with scenery preservation, and had spent the money drinking and loafing about publichouses. Ho: had been taken in hand by a half-caste, and; on leaving tho. home of the latter, had gone off, stealing- things as he ( wjent. . He would deal leniently with him, however, as lie had already been . in prison for fourteen days. -The prisoner was liable to •several years' imprisonment, if his Honour chose to impose it. When he got out of prison, lie had hotter turn at ones to work. The Europeans had brought , the drink to this country, and ruined tho Maori race. Nevertheless, the prisoner and others ought to have had strength of miiid to resist.it. The sentence would be six months' imprisonment with hard labour in Wellington Gaol. \ DAYLIGHT ROBBERIES. " rMita Harawira Renata' had pleaded guilty to brealcing ( and entering by day, on two occasions the Shop of William M'Kain at. Moliaka, and stealing respectively £10 18s. Bd. and £10 13s. 9d. Mr. R.-B. Williams,', for the pristine]',' said lie: was informed that ho had not been in trouble before.' ■*.'iHis"'Hoiicmr said he had a report showing that the prisoner, when quite a boy, stole a gold ..w.atch and chain, also, that: the. Maoris gave him a bad "character for dishonesty. .'Counsel asked Ho'be.given "a week to' make inquiries;The case was adjourned until -next Saturday. ''

FORGERY. 'AND' UTTERING. . : Robert. Ernest Pojvelland Raymond Saunders had pleaded guilty before Mr. \V.- G. lliddell, 5.M.,; to a charge of forging the "name of Erie "Walter Arrowon a Post Office Bank withdrawal receipt for £18, and uttering the same ■to.Francis Taylor Bennington. Mr. A. L. Herdman, appearing for Saunders, asked that 'ho -should be placed on probation or ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. This was Saunders's first appearance in a criminal court. Counsel had handed to the gaoler letters from former employers of the prisoner, giving him a good character. He was only 18 years of age.' After the withdrawal slip, had been forged and the money detained Saunders : repented and handed his share to Powell. His Honour said that Powell had been convicted at the .beginning of this year of stealing a letter containing a cheque, and had been ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. His Honour thought it would have been better if! he had been put under strict probation., He had now, it appeared, in compaiiy 'with Saunders,' stolen a portmanteau containing a bank book, forged a signature, got the money from the bank, and sent two telegrams which were also forgeries. He had com-, mencod a career of crime, and had laid' himself open to bo declared a habitual criminal! Moreover, his offences were such that ho could be given practically a life sentence without being classed as a habitual criminal. Ho would be sentenced to twelve months' hard labour, and his Honour hoped that arrangements, could be made to take him to lnvercargill to see if anything could be done to reform him. Otherwise there seemed to be nothing before him but tho misery of a life alternately in and out of gaol. ' Addressing Saunders,' his Honour said that the police report in his caso was very favourable. Ho would be placed on probation for twelve months, 0:1 condition that he should not go out after 7 o'clock at night, unless for purposes of his business, or to attend a night school or anything like that, and ho would have to obtain the permission of the probation officer before doing so. 3is Honour added that some people thought he ought not to make such conditions, but experieuce showed that the results in the past had been good, when these stipulations had been made by himself and his brother judges. Of course, if the prisoner thought ho would rather go to gaol he had only to .break his probation. No condition would be mado, in this case, about drink or anything else.