SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2999, 9 February 1917, Page 7

SUPREME COURT

CRIMINAL SESSIONS

"A DELIBERATE FRAUD" Before Ilis Honour Mr. Justice Chapman, in tho Supreme Court yesterday, tho case was resumed in which Annie Elizabeth Reid was charged' with having forged orders lor the redirection of letters by the postal authorities. Further charges alleged that accused forged a receipt for » registered letter, and that by means of false pretences she induced a postal officer to deliver to her a postal packet containing £5, tho packet being neither addressed to nor intended for her. Mr. Meredith prosecuted. The accused was not represented by counsel. After hearing further ovidcnce His Honour summed up, and told tho jury- that the Crown case depended upon tho identification of the accused as the person who received tho postal packet and wrote tho redirection orders. As regarded personal identification, there was the evidence of Miss Tnsker, who said that she believed it was accused who called for tho letter. ]>ut was not positive. Then there was tho evidence given as to handwriting, and on this tlio Crown easo mainly rested. The jury, after a retirement of 15 minutes, returned a verdict of guilty. 'This was a very deliberate fraud," said His Honour to the prisoner. "You aro sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour." A BRUTAL ASSAULT. James Stephen O'Neill and" Henry Ernest George Solway were charged with having, on December 24 last, assaulted one Howard Webby so as to cause him actual -bodily harm. Mr. Meredith prosecuted, and 'Mr. H. F. O'Lcary defended. Mr. .Meredith said that on Christmas F™ a returned soldier named Howard ii ebby was walking up Taranaki Street, when, without any warning:, O'Neill, hit him, knocked him down,, and broke,his . accused .Solway was with 0 Neill, and was a party to the assault. It was a. cowardly, brutal, and unprovoked attack. "The two accused had a peculiar way of spending Christmas Eve," said counsel, "because tho first thing they aro known to have done that night is to have assaulted a man named Dirge just before assau]ting Webby." Dirge, also, was struck without provocation, and went for a policeman; and in tho meantime the attack on Webby was made. Evidence was then called. Under examination Solway denied participation in either of the assaults ment'onwl In- the Crown Prosecutor. O'Neill admitted having yerved three years' nrobation for breaking and enter--1 n He was 25 years of age. _ His Honour having summed up, tho jury returned a verdict of guilty in the caso of O'Neill, and one of not guilty in the case of Solway. Solwnv was discharged. _ His Honour, in sentencing O'Neill, said to tho prisoner: "You appear to be a man of bad and violent character. You nave brutally ill-used this man, and will Irtl? harftlL" ,r." yMrS ' ira P ris0 "'»«"t ALLEGED INDECENT ASSAULT. Edmond Gilliean. a middle-aged mail for whom Mr. H. F. O'Lcary appeared n?™it- rni °» two charges of indecent assault upon g.rls aged 7 and 9 years lespectivoly. 1 lie, caso had not concluded when the Court rose. ™