PROBATION GRANTED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 66, 10 December 1938, Page 18

PROBATION GRANTED

Man Guilty Of HouseBreaking

HEROIC ACTION RECALLED

By Telegraph—Press Association.

CHRISTCHURCH, December 9.

Hero of a sensational incident recently when he intervened to stop an alsatian dog from attacking a baby, George Thomas Watts appeared in the Supreme Court before his Honour Mr. Justice Northcroft today and was sentenced on a charge of house-breaking. He was admitted to probation for two years.

Mr. P. H. T. Alpers, for AVatts, said that he had had ft hard upbringing. He was sent to a truant school when very young and then sent to farms in Taranaki, where he was outfitted with clothes and allowed 2/6 a week above his keep. The incident with the alsatian dog took place in June last, and as a result: of it AVatts received a fractured wrist and had to give up his employment. He was placed on sustenance and he and his wife and child had to live on 39/- a week. Later he entered the employment, of the Brighton Borough Council. His offence occurred when Watts was pressed for payment on furniture. He had kept up these payments till he was injured. and when he got the position with the Brighton Borough Council the furniture company demanded £1 a week. A judgment summons was issued. Wafts saw his home being wrecked and became flurried and committed the offence.

“I am going to give you the credit you deserve for trying to go straight,” said his Honour, “and I shall treat this as an isolated offence and admit you to probation. This is an unusual course, but you have earned it by your conduct over Hie last few years,”