SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 68, 13 December 1939, Page 14

SUPREME COURT

Prisoners Sentenced

Six prisoners were dealt with by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday. Hoiniuic Augustine Clausen, labourer, aged 44, and Harold Charles Carswell Melson; labourer, aged 25. charged, witli breaking, entering and theft at Wanganui, were sentenced to nine mouths and eix months' hard labour respectively. Both blamed drink for the offences and offered to take 1 out prohibition orders. His Honour remarked that he would impose sentences to enable them to get -the drink out of their systems. Clarence Albert Butterfield, alias Bush, cabinetmaker and labourer, aged 36, was sentenced to two years’ reformative detention for breaking, entering and thett at Wellington, the sentence to be concurrent with the one now being servcir. Three men. charged with offences at Blenheim, were admitted to probation for 12 months and ordered to pay costs, il 3/8 each. They were- Jack lan Ruffell. apprentice painter, aged 19 (one charge of unlawful carnal knowledge), Keith Budgewell Yenlands, labourer, aged IS 11 wo charges of unlawful carnal knowhdgei. and Ronald Tudor, labourer, aged 22 l three charges of attempted unlawful carnal knowledge). Counsel, Mr. W. E. Leicester, said the votiths were among 17 in all who had be n charged either with intercourse or attempted intercourse with the same girl, whose age was 13 years 8 months. Several of the youths bad been dealt with in the Juvenile Court. None bad been in trouble lief ore and all had borne excellent

characters. . His Honour said that probation had been recommended by rhe probation officer. who was of the opinion that the public interests would not be served by sending the youths to prison. His Honour was of the same opinion with the material before him. Anxious as he was, and as every judge was. to protect young girls of ihe' community, which was the duty of the Court, nevertheless there were cases, and this was one of them, where it was not proper to send youths-to prison. Certainly it would not he in the best interests of rlie prisoners or of society. So far as rhe two vounger prisoners were concerned. he doubted very much if a jury would have convicted them.