SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 113, 5 February 1924, Page 5

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED His Honour Mr. Justice Salmond sentenced several prisoners in the Supreme Court yesterday morning. BREAKING AND ENTERING. Gavin Brown, aged 36, with numerous previous minor convictions, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and thrit at Feilding. ~ , His Honour said that it was evident that tho previous offences by the prisoner wore not of a serious nature, and mostly the result of drunkenness. But the present case was different, and he sentenced Brown to one year’s inprisonmont. INDECENT ASSAULT. Roy Edward Ralph, about 16 years of age. pleaded guilty to indecent assault. Tho Crown Prosecutor (Mr. 1. A. Maeassoy) said that the boy's birth au‘ upbringing were unfortunate. It was suggested he should so to tho Weraroa The probation officer explained that, at Wcraroa the boys were Icept at farming pursuits, and when skilled enough, and if their conduct warranted it, were Jet out to faamers on the discretion oi tne manager. . , , His Honour: Have you convicted criminals amongst them. Upon being assured that there wore no criminals of really bad character nt Weraroa, the lad was remanded until Wednesday, to remain in the custody of the probation officer. TWO YEARS FOR THEFT. Herbert Doughty, a baker, with 16 previous convict-tons. pleaded guilty to theft at Hamilton. . “Some of your previous convictions were for serious offences,” said His Honour, “and this is not a case in which I can extend you any special leniency. You are sentenced to imprisonment for two years.” FALSE PRETENCES. Frederick Ellis, aged 29, pleaded guilty I to four charges of false pretences at Wanganui. His Honour could not accept the suggestion in the prisoner’s written statement that tho offences were only the result of drunkenness. Of the four similar offences not one was of the kind due to the influence of liquor. “You were engaged at well-paid work,” commented His Honour. “I cannot understand why a man. like you should go and imperil your liberty for paltry sums when you aro able to earn good wages. You are sentenced to two year's’ imprisonment, the sentences to run concurrently, on each change. AN UNNATURAL OFFENCE. Joseph Ambrose Lipinsky, a labourer, aged 23, pleaded guilty to the charge of incest. Mr. J, Scott appeared on behalf of the prisoner. Lipinsky, said counsel, had a good name amongst those for whom he had worked, and the other party, he said, had been to blame. She was now an inmate of Point Halsweil Prison. Evidence was given by Air. Arnold, a visiting Justice of the Peace, as to the difficulty found in dealing with her, as she wag a degenerate. The Crown Prosecutor agreed that it was the girl who was to blame. His Honour, after perusing the letters, said that he agreed with much of what counsel bad said. The sister, who was evidently then already a bad character, had seduced the brother. But the latter was conscious of the offence, which was against nature as well as the law, and lie sentenced hhn to three months’ imprisonment. SCHOOL TEACHER’S FALL. Hubert Reginald Holdaway, a school teacher, aged 29, admitted indecent assault on a male. Air. A. R. Atkinson, who appeared on behalf of the prisoner, said that he had a good war record, and a good peace record, and by his organisation and ability had gained great credit in his profession and outside it. He had served 41- years at his last school in Blenheim, whore his head said of him that he hud “always considered him a very fine teacher, handling a class of 75 to 90 boys successfully; one of the most active and energetic men I have ever known, and a man who had a good influence on tho boys in his charge.” His Honour said that all this was no doubt quite true, but there was only one way to deal with such a case, unless there were evidence suggesting mental trouble. Air. Macassey said that the police had kept a watch on the prisoner, and wore convinced that the offence was an habitual one. His Honour said that the prisoner had pleaded guilty to three charges of assault on boys. ,It was with regret that he saw him in this liumfiating and disgraceful position. He had brought disgrace on himself and sorrow on his relations. “Tho time may come when acts such as these may bo regarded rather as a disease than a crime. But as long as you give way to these proclivities you cannot be trusted .with boys. I must deal with tho case in the ordinary way. You aro sentenced on each charge'concurrently to imprisonment for five years."