MAXIMUM PENALTY INFLICTED

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 184, 3 May 1934, Page 6

MAXIMUM PENALTY INFLICTED

Man With Ammonia Pistol HOUSEBREAKING GEAR AND WEAPONS FOUND The discovery iu his possesMvu ot a large assortment of weapons and housebreaking implemeuts resulted in George Albert Edwards being sentenced in the ' Wellington Supreme Court yesterday to a term of two years’ reformative detention, iu addition lo a inuximutn penalty of 12 mouths’ imprisonment with hard labour. 11lHonour Mr. Justice Reed commented severely on the nature of tbe weapons, and spoke of au example being made of other similar offenders. Edwards pleaded guilty to tbe eLarge against him of being a rogue aud vagabond in that lie bad iu his possession implements for housebreaking, but he said that these and the weapons were not bis own. but had been given him to mind by another person. The articles were a bottle of ammonia, a water pistol, an automatic pistol with one round of ammunition, a jemmy, two pairs of rubber gloves, eight detonators, four pieces of fuse, two and a half sticks of gelignite, aud a piece of rubber hose with lead, at one end. , , • Mr. A. F. Hogg, who appeared for Edwards, said that in spite of his bad criminal record be had recently been attempting to lead a straight life, and be had taken regular employment. However, he had fallen into the company of au old criminal acquaintance, and this bad led to bis present offence. With a mistaken sense of loyalty he bad previously refused to tell the name of the man whom, be contended, had previously had the weapons and other Implements,, but now ho bad given the name. Counsel bad passed this information on to the police, aud they could keep tbe man In sight. The Crown prosecutor stated that the water pistol found in Edwards’s possession had at some time contained ammonia. Tests bad been made with it, and it had been found to have a range of 30 feet. “I would like to warn you and others of like tendencies that the use of such things as these is liable to lead to flogging In addition to Imprisonment,” his Honour told the prisoner “xin example of such persons might well be made in the future. Under the special circumstances I am going .o sentence you to further Imprisonment with hard labour for a year, and an additional period to that of reformative detention of not less than two years. \