SUPREME COURT.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 38, 13 August 1895, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS. tl (Before His Honour the Chief Justice.) jj YISTIBDAT. jj PALSB PBBTBKCBB. 01 The trial of Valentine Verne, charged t with having obtained snms of money from n varionß persons by fraudulent means, was g concluded at half-past 9 o'olook last night, P when the jury brought in a verdict of f Guilty. Prisoner was remanded until next * morning for sentence. This Dat. Verne made a long statement to the Court this morning, asserting that he had no fraudulent intention when he obtained the money from Wainwright, Burnett, and Knapp. He was really Charles Wynward, as the Crown might have ascertained if it had liked. When he got the money from them he had a reasonable expeo- t tation of being able to repay it out of money 2 due to him under his father's will, which a should arrive in the 1 colony shortly. He i complained that the' police in the colony h had never given him a chance, bnt Beemed f to think that if a man once got into trouble s there was no good in him. Thia was not n British fair play. ' h His Honour said the fraud of which the v prisoner had been convicted was of a very 1 bad land. On the one hand there was an a indication of considerable skill, and on the a other, one Baw so many people capable of a being deoeived. These persons the law g must protect. On the three counts of the b first indiotment Verne was sentenced to s three years' imprisonment with hard labour s on eaoh count, the terms to be concurrent; £ and he was sentenced to undergo a further f term of two years' imprisonment on the c second indiotment. Verne has therefore to t ■erve five years. t After passing eentenoe hi» Honour added that the prisoner's deoeit was a most oruel thing, especially in the oase of Knapp, a poor man, who had been defrauded of his savings. Prisoner—lf I establish my identity and refund the money, will yonr Honour mitigate the sentenoe P His Honour—Remove the prisoner. TJNABL* TO AQEKE. The jury in the oase of the three boys Conroy, Brown, and Paulmier, oharged with breaking and entering, was discharged, having been looked up all night, and unable to agree. The Crown Proieoutor asked for a new trial at the present sittings, which was granted. A WAIEABAPA OAB*. Percy Plank and Thomas Sohofield were indioted for having, about the 3rd April, broken into the dwelling-house of John Alfred Jury, at Papawai, Greytown, and stolen various goods, inolnding jewellery, &o. On the application of Mr. Wilford, who appeared for the defence, separate trials were granted, and the case against Plank was heard first, Aooused pleaded Not Guilty, and Mr. S. J. Dyer was foreman of the jury. From the evidence for the prosecution it appeared that John A. Jury left his house as Papawai in Much, 1894, in charge of a native woman named Katharine Rewi, and returned on 16th April last in cpnsequenoe of a letter received from her stating that the place had. been robbed. He found that the house had been broken into. The latch on one of the windows was partly broken off. He mused a large quantity of blankets acd other articles, as well as some jewellery belonging to Mrs. Jury,. , Cross-examined, Jury could not my that the artioles hod been in the house for 14 months before he returned. The native woman did not drink. She had the keys to all the rooms, and lived in another house not far distant. He did not inform the police till the 21st July, though he knew on 16th April that the house had been robbed. The reason was that he suapeoted that the Maoris had taken the artioles. He only oommunioated with the police after the men had been arrested. In re-examination the witness said that bis store-house and tool-house hadtlso been broken into and a large number of artioles missed. At this stage the Court adjourned for lunoheon. ,