TEN TRUE BILLS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 110, 3 February 1931, Page 10

TEN TRUE BILLS

Supreme Court List

TWO PLEAS REVERSED

Judge Reviews Cases

True bills in all indictments were, returned by the Grand Jury when the quarterly criminal session of the Supreme Court opened yesterday before Mr. Justice MacGregor. In two of the cases, previous pleas of not guilty were reversed by accused persons, who were remanded for sentence. The criminal list is one of the biggest that has been before the court in Wellington for some time, and it* is not anticipated that the cases will be disposed of until next week. One case was concluded yesterday, the jury returning a verdict of guilty against William Thomas Moat, furniture maker, of Lower Hutt, who was charged with attempted breaking and entering' with intent to steal. The prisoner was remanded for sentence. William Richard Thomas, charged with bigamy, and Richard George Clifton, charged with theft as a servant from Cash Orders Ltd., reversed previous pleas and answered “guilty” when they were called to the prisoner’s box. Each was remanded for sentence. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, Crown Prosecutor, with him Mr. Evans Scott, appeared for the Crown. The following grand jury was. empannelled:—J. M. Griffiths (foreman), G. F. Renner, T. W. Page, H. Riley, F. J. Shand, A. C. Saunders, A. Parlane, A. H. Clarke, J. V. Solomon, P. Coyle, G. S. Davidson, C. Corrigan, H. Murphy, J. W. Gow, S. F. Brailsford, A. T. Bowley, O. E. Binning, W. O. Deere, W. O. McKereher, L. D. Hurst, B. Moore. Some Grave Cases. “I regret to have to tell you there is a big number of cases before you this sitting,” his Honour said in addressing the Grand Jury. “Some of them are of a grave character, but the evidence in each seems to be fairly clear, and I do not think you will have difficulty in reaching your conclusions in any of them.” Most of the cases, his Honour said, were ordinary types of crime, involving dishonesty and indecency in various forms. The first was an unusual charge, laid under the Secret Commissions Act of 1910, which made it criminal for any agent to hold a secret commission benefit under a contract to the principal, and also made it criminal to render to the principal a false account of any business given by the principal. The charge in this case was against the firm of Laery. and Co., auctioneers, of Wellington, who were alleged to have rendered false accounts respecting sales of cases of bananas sold on behalf of the New Zealand Government, and against whom it was also” alleged that they had failed to reveal a pecuniary interest in the contract to the principal. \ Charge of Bigamy. The facts against William Richard Thomas, charged with bigamy, seemed to be fairly clear, his Honour said. Apparently he had been married in New South Wales in 1923 and had separated after a short period of married life. Then he had come across to New Zealand and had gone through another form of marriage in 1929, his real wife still being alive. The ilefence was that he thought his first wife dead when he married the second time, but that was not a question that had to be considered by the grand jury. “I think you will find that clear evidence will be put before you,” his Honour said. . After dealing with two- charges of indecent exposure, against James Mills and Laurence William Hanlon respectively; his Honour mentioned the charge against Alfred Crossey, one which alleged counterfeiting. The jury, he thought, would have little doubt as to what to do with this accused person, who was also charged with forgery and uttering. Four young men, Cameron Mitchell, William Edward Ryan, William Roger Kells and Edward Albert Napier, were plarged with theft from a person, his Honour proceeded. This was one of the cases, unfortunately too common, where one or more people robbed a man who had been drinking. The evidence showed that all these men had been drinking together, and after a number of hotels had been visited the accused - men had induced the complainant to go up a narrow lane, hustled him in a doorway and robbed him of £4 in money and a gold watch and chain with a greenstone tiki attached. The complainant had not been so drunk as had been thought, for he immediately complained to the police and eventually the other men had been arrested. „ ... His Honour dealt briefly with charges against Clement Robert Lawson of theft, and William Francis Calvert of breaking, entering and theft. In both cases clear evidence would be presented, while his Honour thought the evidence against William Thomas Moat, charged with attempted breaking and entering, was such to warrant his standing trial. After a brief retirement the grand jury returned a true bill in each case.