SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3156, 7 August 1917, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

CRIMINAL SESSIONS OPENED

THIRTEEN CASES FOR TRIAL

Tiio fViannal sessions of the Supremo *1 . Wellington wero opened before tue Jhief Justice, Sir Robert'6tout, yesmorning. n /r. Y. R. Meredith, of the Grown Law prosecuted in cach ease. ' ; GRAND JURY. Tho following constituted tho Grand Jury:—Messrs. W. H. Milhvard (foreman), T. L. Eoyes, W. Macintosh, 0. G. Wilson, jE. P. Wright, J. E. Jones, 31. Blackburn, G. W. Grundy, T. L. Buick, E. J. Archi- | bald, J. S. Swan. G. E. Blake, G. J. H. Bell, J. T. Church, A. W. Gilbert, F. It. I Simma, F. F. Shalders, W. G. Johnston, ■0. W. Robinson. E. Bull. L. Williams, H. |P. Allen, and Hugh Millar. In bis charge to the Grand Jury, Hie ■ Honour said that he did not think any iof the cases would prove difficult. Three j persons were charged with forgery, three i with thefti ono with manslaughter, one with attempted burglary, oue with false pretences, one with bigamy, ono with an unnatural offence, and ono with indecent assault The case against . the lastmentioned accused was, as far as he could see, one of the most shocking he -had over seen sent to a. jury for trial. One st-ood by itself. In it. the acoused appeared, by what he had done,, to- be. weakminded.

.' Truo bills were' found it) all the cases submitted to the Grand Jury.

. BREAKING AND" ENTERING. . William -Kinnai-rd. Chisholra pleaded not guilty to a charge of breaking and entering 'by night tho. dwellinghouse of Mrs. Clements Ellis, at 34 Street, with intent to commit a crinie. Acoused was alternatively-charged with., being on the premises with intent to commit a. Mr/ Meredith .Sakl that . Mrs. Ellis lived with a. young -lady."' The two went out on the evening in question,'leaving the. doors locked andthe windows closed. On their return about 11.30 they entered, and found accused coming out of Mrs. Ellis's.bedroom. Asked : how'ho got in, he said. By tho door" It was evident, however.' that a window had been opened/ and about the .window were' marks, indicating that a man with muddy boots had corac in. Ill© drawers in .the bedrooms had been-dis-arranged. Accused said he* had come, to the .houso to tell Mrs. Ellia' ho hfitf 6n•listed. -It appeared that on a- previous occasion .ho had'been brought to the houso by a friend of Mrs. Ellis's. When arrested and charged .--accused,- said- ho got through tho window, but did not take an>aing.' He further stated ' that JioOiad been inritcil to' Hie lioustS Yiy ISts. but-that,, no on© m, lie ha;l -waitefl. Ewlcw.o for tfto prosecution \tas called. ■ Accused did not jnlcr tho iritneßs-bor. 1 hut mmlo irom hotii a- ucvcsins thirt'lio had any snvltv iMontiotl. Ko taid h;\A uo\\c\ \o Mrs. Ullis 8 liouso Tvot (o commit, hut.to prevent, ft cr/we.- Jte would • lie a\>Vo to -provo ftwV sA' some twtavc' The jury, afor it short retirement, brought in * rcrdict 'ol.guMy.: :■ ■ .His llon'oiil- deferred' scntciico UU Tlnivsrtiiy. . ■■ . -

' I'UBPT-'OF A JIOTOR-CTOJjE- • Eriiest lasting. far'' wl'ionr/Mr,; ;0:"G. £•■ Watson appeared, pleaded not cmlty to a | charge'of-stefl-ling a, motor-cycle. .valued at £45. the -property- of .O'Brien, and Co.- •" Jtr. Meredith said "thai ,itt.Jimo Accused ivaß' employed' by O'Bi'ien .adtf-O). as-a ■ slablo hand.- Ho told 'Mr. 0 Bricn- ho iyaß a, motonmechanic, and Itr.' 0 Brien accordingly soutjip a.- belonging- U> (,ho llrm lo bo ('leaned 'find •Accused was .distinctly told that, ho had •no right to nso tho machine or to. take it, away. On tho' morning,of Juno -9 .accused asked if.ho-might ; havo lite wages early, as lie wished to W somo shopping. He was wages. Ju tho afternoon Mr. .OVRncn went lip U> tho stable, and found that' the work there had not been dolie,' but that accused-and (lie cycle wero cone. The next that wa*> lieard of accused was'tha-t "fid"was" in '['aiiuiaruuni, having- left .the i.-yolo at, a- gajues in iai-'-Jmpe. .'AI-lhf.iinragft'in -qncsUoil.'bo had "statwl the. roads were too bad lor. him to.ride .»!'• JIo borrowed £3 Ihcro on tho '"'rho defence was tha(,, accused's action did not amount. to theft, inasmuch' .isoocused' intended to return tho jjicye e: ■ Bo had made use, of it ,to -talio hun marnnui.. whero.- lie, wished . lo -see .his by Mr. "Meredith, accused admitted that- he -had ; bc.en twico Proviously -convicted of theft this -jen-r. On the first 'occasion.-' the trouble, was about a bicycle, and.on the sccond. about an ac(:lj\fter a retirement. the jury returned a verdict of guilty, with a strong recom, mendat-iori to leniency, .on. account of tho P 'yentence ' I'Js 1 ' deferred till Thursday morning in this case also. . The Court adjourned till to-day. GHniSTCHUR<!H CRIMINAL SESSIONS, By Tnlegi'apli—Press Association, ~ Chrlstchurch, August' 6. At the' Riipi'-emo Court criminal sessions, the following sentences were .passed John Hunt, breaking anil entering, one, months imprisonment; Montagu H. \atcs, forgery, three years' reformative treatment; Patrick Brick, false' declaration under the Post and Teiepranh Act, ordered .to come no for scnJ^MO-\Y.licti-.calle.<i.6ii, and pay the costs of the prosecution. James Al- ( Trcd Stanley- Fuller pleaded pnilty to inN decent cxpdstirc, and -vmir- atlmiUed to probation for,twelve mouthß.