SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2813, 3 July 1916, Page 3

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED

JVinr prisoners en mo up for sentence by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) in the Supreme Court on Saturday morning. ■' His Honour spoke severely upon the evils of the present day, and directed special attention to the drinking, smoking, and gambling propensities of tho people. None of the prisoners, however, had any serious crimes laid to their door and tho penalties imposed were comparatively light.

A MAORI GIRL'S TROUBLE. Maka Kaimoka, a young Maori girl, had n long series of minor offences against her. There were two charges a year against her. in 1913 and 1014, and in. 1915 she had been found guilty of breaking and entering. In all, she had undergone* fifteen months in gaol and twelve months' reformative treatment. His Honour said he would not on the present occasion write her down as an habitual criminal, as ho was entitled to do. There seemed to be, in. his judgment, somo mental defect iu the girl, and he would give her, ho said, two years' further reformative treatment, in the hope that sbo would yet improve. TWO YEARS' PROBATION. A youth, Maurice Burdon, who did not look more than eighteen years, guilty of breaking and entering, was given two years' probation. Mr. P. W. Jackson, who. appeared for the lad, said his uncle, a farmer near Palnierstan North, was in Court, and would take him away from his evil associates. ' ' His Honour charged his uncle to take care of the lad, saying that Burdon was on no account to be allowed to smoke, to drink, or to stay out at night. His uncle having given that undertaking, Burdon left the dock. THEFT,-FORGERY. AND FALSE PRETENCES. Although only twenty-six years of age, Frederick Marshall, who .had pleaded guilty to nine charges of theft, forgery, and false pretences, had a record of fourteen charges of- breaking and entering, and fifteen of theft piled up against him.

Mr. P. J. O'Regan pleaded for leniency, and handed in a letter on prisoner's behalf from a young woman who was particularly attached to the prisoner.

His Honour could not take such a letter into consideration. If anything, it made prisoner's case the ' less condonable. Addressing the ' prisoner, His Honour said he had fallen into bad ways when a boy in Sydney, and for the past twelve years ho had been continuously in and out of gaol. Leaving iS T ew South Wales, he had hoped to escape further trouble, but hero he had apparently found trouble easily. The -Prisons Board had bad his case twice before them; and on the last occasion, six months ago, when ho was beforo'. the Court, he was dealt leniently with because he said he wanted to join the Expeditionary Forces'. But that was no use,, and the prisoner' seemed to act when, out of prison. as if he. could defy the law. His Honour felt there was no help but to declaro Marshall an habitual criminal; and although the nine offences were not serious, they had .to be' punished.. , His Honour'sentenced. Ibc prisoner to two months' imprisonment on each charge—lß months in all.

Mr. O'Regan mentioned the matter of iCl!) the prisoner had on arrest. His Honour declined to say to whom the money belonged. If tradespeople were foolish enough to give good, money and their goods for valueless paper they had themselves to ' blame. Tho money would remain in the hands of. the police till the rightful owners claimed it.

AN UNCOMMON CASE. In the City Magistrate's Court last week Harold 'Glanvillc, a discharged soldier, .had pleaded cuilty to altering his discharge to make it read "good" instead of "bad," with intent to deceive, and hud been committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

His Honour said that, this young man. (28) represented tho case of a soldier who liad fallen through liquor. He would not treat Hie offence or, a serious one. but six months' imprisonment with 'hard labour would give him timo for sober reflection, and enable him to got the taste for liquor out of his system.