TO-DAY'S CO URT. CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 121, 20 November 1908, Page 7

TO-DAY'S CO URT. CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

PRISONERS SENTENCED. ?*Tb.e*criminal sessions of the Supremft! *Court were resumed in Wellington to* ■,day, Mr. Justice Cooper presiding. A MEAN THEFT. A young man named John Patrick Collins cam© up for sentence for theftf of a gold watcn and chain from an elderly man named Charles Stuart, atf Otaki on 14th October. His Honour* observed that prisoner had been convict-i ed of vagraacy. This was an ordinaryt caee-of a/man of dishonest instincts and' a, vagrant. He got into the company., of an old man, who was no doubt somewhat under the influence of drink, ami. robbed' him. 'Prisoner would be sen-* tenced to tivo years' imprisonment withli hard' labour. GAOL AND BENEVOLENCE. I A sentence of five years' imprisonment was imposed, on Thomas Inchey for in* decent assault at liamua on Ist Novem-. her. His Honour observed that the* jury had recommended Inchey to niercy., Ho was an old man. 78 years of age, and;! it was evident, from the nature of thefo case, that ha had perverted sexual instincts. The offence he, committed made*, him liable to a sentence of ten years'\ imprisonment. His Honour said thaty while he ought to consider the reoom-' mendation, he had to consider what waai* best to do with prisoner, and what wash best to do with him in the interests oh, the community, and his Honotir waa' satisfied that the propel' thing was to> place him under proper control. Heu would be sentenced to five years' impri-* sonment with the object of keeping hiiny from committing this offence ia future^ and also that he might be taken careb of. It was quite clear that he hadq wandered about the country, and undets the circumstances the best and most; merciful course to prisoner and tha, community was that he should be kepiil under proper control. He would u*i treated in the gaol with that- considera-, tion which was due to a man of hi* age. It -would mean that prisoner would)] get a home for the five years. . M YOUTHFUL BURGLAR, I A lad named Ronald Seaforth Jones, came up for sentence for breaking and 1 ' entering and theft, and breaking and' entering at Wellington. Mr. Wilford appeared for tho accused, and said his< client was under the age of 16 yoarau at the time the offences — which included! entering the house of Police Sub-Inspect tor Phair — were committed. Heredity} and environment, counsel said, had noth> ing to do with the iad's conduct. He< had a happy home and good parents, bufri he had been reading "penny dreadfuls, "i [ no less than 12 ot them having been', | found under his bed. His mind had!: evidently become saturated with thisj "dare-devil" kind of book. Counsel thoa; went on to ask his Honour to give th«ij boy another chance. His Honour pointed out that the lad 1 had already been .convipted by, tha Magistrate, and ordered to come up forj sentence when called upon. He then made some scathing remarks about "penny dreadfuls," and said if he could do it, the better course — instead of sending him to gaol — would be to commit him to an industrial school. If his Honour could not do that then he would pass a short sentence on the" prisoner, with a special direction that he was to bo kept entirely separate from everyone. His Hon- | our also said he would send a recommendation to his Excellency to transfer prisoner to an industrial school.