“A COCK AND BULL STORY”

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 159, 31 March 1922, Page 6

“A COCK AND BULL STORY”

TOLD IN COURT BY HOTEL THIEF SEVERAL PRISONERS SENTENCED Several prisoners were sentenced by His Honours Mr. Justice Hosking in the Supreme Court yesterday. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown. THEFT FROM HOTEL. Henry Harris Baver. the first prisoner called, had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft in Wellington in November. Mr. W. E. Leicester, who appeared for the prisoner, said that Tunnicliffe had yielded to a sudden temptation. He had gone to Barrett’s Hotel to see a friend, had looked into another room, seen some jewellery lying about, and had stolen it on the spur of the moment. His Honour said that he did not believe the story—a ccck and bull story of the sort told by every thief of the tvpe of accused. Moreover, Tunnictilfe had admitted seven other similar offences, all of which had been committed within a fortnight or so. Also, the prisoner had Tiad a bad record previously. He had been convicted of theft in 1915, but this might have been overlooked had he not thieved in Egypt while a member of the Expeditionary Force. Since he had returned to New Zealand he had been in trouble with his employer, though he had not been prosecuted, and now he was faced with a series or charges of theft from hotels and boardinghouses. Prisoner was sentenced to two years reformative detention.

SEVEN YEARS’ HARD LABOUR. A sentence of seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed upon Venables Matthews, guilty on three charges of indecent assault upon girls at Petone. Mr. W. McEldowney, who appeared for the prisoner, said that Matthews’s family history was very bad, and no doubt the taint had appeared in him. His Honour’s comment on this plea was that this was all the more reason why Matthews should be kept under restraint. WERAROA BOYS’ ADVENTURE. Two boys from Weraroa were next to be called. These lads, Norman Paul Nesbit and Reuben Curtis Warnock, had absconded from Weraroa Farm, and broken into two dwellinghouses at Palmerston North, stealing a wristlet watch, jewellery, and £8 10s. in money. His Honour said that Nesbit had a very bad record for a boy only seventeen years of age. He had begun to steal in 1919, and had not profited from the opportunities given him then, as he was convicted on four charges of theft three months later, and sent to Weraroa, Three times he had run away, and then had Committed the offences at Palmerston North. Prisoner was sentenced to three years’ reformative detention at Invercargill. Warnock, an older boy, said that he and Nesbit had agreed to run away from Weraroa together, and that while they were together in Palmerston they broke into two houses and stole the money and jewellery. His Honour ordered that the lad should be detained for reformative purposes for a year, with a direction that he be kept apart from Nesbit. ROBBED HIS HOME. The offence committed by Frederick William Dewhurst, 23 years of age, was that of having stolen from nis own parents’ home a piano, a gramophone, and some smaller articles. Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson, counsel for the prisoner, said that Dewhurst had been out of work for about two months, and owing to a tiff he had had with his people he was not living at home. Ho had slept out for several nights, and had been driven to the thefts by the bitterness of hunger. While his people were absent from home, prisoner had paid two visits to the house, taking the piano on one occasion, and the other articles on the other. The articles had been recovered, but prisoner had spent £2O advanced to him by a piano dealer. His Honour said that the police report stated that Dewhurst had spent the £2O on treating girls, instead of in the purchase of food, but that suggestion prisoner denied. After considering the report of the probation officer, His Honour admitted Dewhurst to probation for two years on strict conditions.

Several other prisoners will be sentenced this morning.