CRIMINAL BREACHES OF TRUST

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 150, 20 March 1936, Page 2

CRIMINAL BREACHES OF TRUST

Prisoners Sentenced

COMMENT BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE

“Although no rigid rule can or, in my opinion, should be laid down, nevertheless, generally speaking, probation should not be granted to a person who is guilty of a criminal breach of trust, such as you have been guilty of not on one occasion but on two," said the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers; in the Supreme Court, at Wellington, yesterday when Leslie Rickard, motor salesman, appeared for sentence on two charges of theft as a servant. Prisoner, who wits represented by Mr. H. F. Bollard, was ordered to be detained for reformative purposes for 15 months. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown. His Honour said he thought it was in Rickard’s own interests, as well as in the interests of the State, that he should be under supervision for a period, which, however, he did not propose to make a very long one. “I recognise,” said his Honour, “that this is the first time you have been before the court. I recognise you have been a good worker, and I recognise various matters that your counsel has referred to, aud for those reasons 1 propose to make your sentence as lenient as I can.” Borstal For Young Woman Kathleen Hester Hesse, also known as Kathleen Hester Cornelius, cashier, aged 22, who had pleaded guilty to having received £554 on behalf of the Art Cabinet Company and fraudulently omitted to account for it, was ordered to be detained in a borstal institution for two years. His Honour, in addressing prisoner, who was represented by Mr. R. Hardie Boys, said he could not overlook the fact that in March of last year prisoner was admitted to probation for two years. She took up a position in April and in August she commenced a system of stealing her employers’ money. Theft From Council “This is the third case of criminal breach of trust that I have had to deal with in one morning,” said his Honour when Ross Gordon Bastin McColl, former employee of the Wellington City Corporation, appeared for sentence on a charge of theft as a servant. The amount involved was £236/19/3. Prisoner was ordered to be detained for two years for reformative purposes. Mr. C. A. L. Treiulwell appeared for prisoner. Maori’s Offence Henry MeClutchie Houkamau, aged 2.1, for unlawful carnal knowledge, was admitted to probation for two years. “I understand you have been and still are anxious to marry this girl,” said his Honour. “She is too young to be married at present, aud it will be nearly two years before she is out enough ,to lie married, according to English law.” Prisoner was ordered to go away an,d stay away from Hicks Bay, where the girl lives, during the period of his probation. Attempted Arson For attempted arson, Reginald Fairlie Rogers was ordered to be detained for reformative purposes for 12 calendar months. His Honour said the case was not one of the worst of its kind. Quite recently in cases of arson sentences of five and seven years had been imposed on offenders, but this was not a case that called for anything like that. His Honour said he thought that, in all probability, prisoner’s offence was due to the fact that he had been drinking. He proposed to .make the sentence as light as he could, but it was a case which called for punishment in the interests of the public, and as a deterrent to others who might be similarly minded as prisoner. Mr. P. Verschaffelt appeared for Rogers. Other Sentences ■William Moip'is, aged 18, for breaking and entering uml theft, was sentenced to two years’ detention in a Borstal institution. On four charges of breaking and entering and theft at 'Wellington, Fred Jones was sentenced to imprisonment, with hard labour, for two years and six months. Sentence of two years’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed on Neha Ngatoierua, who had pleaded guilty at Raetihi to a charge of unlawful carnal knowledge. John Walter Wood, for an unnatural offence, was committed to prison for two years for reformative purposes, On a similar charge, Basil Frederick Ivan Boniface, aged IS, was ordered to be detained in a borstal institution for two years. Arthur Aliiert Miners, who had pleaded guilty nt Motueka to a clitU'ge of breaking and entering and theft, and to three charges of forgery, was sentenced to detention for reformative purposes for twelve months.