BREACH OF PROBATION

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 4

BREACH OF PROBATION

THE MAGISTRATE’S WARNING. A young man named William Walker Johnstone, described as a labourer, who had been remanded on Tuesday on a charge of breaking the terms of his probation order, appeared ft>r sentence before Mr. E. Page. S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr. A. B. Sievwright, who represented the accused, said tJMit when Johnstone appeared in the dock at ’ the Supreme Court, on Monday he 'had been charged with*a brjach of his probation- This proved to bo a mistake. and the other charge, escaping from lawful custody, had then been ' preferred. His Honour had beqn made conversant with all the facts, and counsel submitted that Johnstone, who had been admitted to probation, had been punished for the offence with which ho was now charged. The Magistrate: He has not yet been called upon to answer the charge now against him. It is a summary matter, and could not be dealt with by the Supreme Court. I propose to dispose of it now. How do you plead? Mr. Sievwright: He has already pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court. Mr. T. P. Mills, probation officer, stated that all the facts had not been placed before His Honour, who had not been advised that the accused had altered his employment without informing the authorities, and that his general conduct was not at all satisfactory. “I’m not pressing for a heavy penalty,” added Mr. Mills- “I would suggest that he be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence.” His Worship ordered accused to come up for sentence when called upon within two years. “Understand, Johnstone.” said Mr. Page, “that the reports aro not satisfactory, and I warn vou that von may have to be punished if called up on this charge.”