SERIOUS OFFENCE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 259, 2 August 1928, Page 7

SERIOUS OFFENCE

HARBOURING AN ESCAPEE MARRIED MAN’S DILEMMA The fact that one may not harbour an escapee from a place of detention, even at the expense of keeping one's home together, was impressed on Samson Hawkins, a labourer, who appeared before Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Lower Hutt Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Hawkins, who was charged with harbouring a girl who had escaped from the Girls Home, Burwood, Christchurch, entered a plea of guilty. According to Sergeant McHolin, the girl, a sister of accused’s wife, escaped from detention at Christchurch, and camo to the North Island. The police interviewed accused, who denied that she was in his house. They went away, auu came back later, when they searched the house. The girl was found under a bed. It was then discovered that she had been there for a week. Mr. G. Findlay, who appeared for Hawkins, said that accused had allowed the -irl to hide in the house, in order to prevent further trouble with his wife, who threatened to run away if the girl were handed over to the police. The wife having left home once before, the husband thought that he had bettor let the girl stay in the house rather than have his wife “break up the home” again. Counsel added that when accused first came upon the girl, she was in the street with a young man. He stopped her, and told her to go home. Mr. Findlay added that his client had always borne an excellent character. Unfortunately, he was absolutely illiterate, and could neither read nor write. The wife was a native woman, who possibly did not look on the offence in the same light as others did. The Magistrate remarked that it was a serious offence to harbour anyone who had escaped from lawful detention, and pointed out to accused that such an offence could result in his being fined £5O, or being sent to prison for three months. However, considering the circumstauces of the case, he thought that a -fine would be necessary in order that it might impress on the wife that the girl must not be harboured should she escape again. Accused was fined £3.