SENTENCES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 9, 10 July 1909, Page 5

SENTENCES.

PRISONERS BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT. Mr. Justice Chapman presided at ibk Supreme Court to-day. The only business was the sentencing of prisoners who had pleaded guilty in the lower court. Mr. M. Myers appeared .for the Crown. Sub- Inspector Norwood represented the police. A SOUTH AFRICAN IN TROUBLE. Stephen Kotze was sentenced to four months' imprisonment for forgery. Mr. O'Leary, who appeared for prisoner, stated that previously to being charged with false pretences prisoner had never been before a court. He came from South Africa to this country, lured here by the accounts of its great prosperity. He had tried hard to get jvork to support his wife and child and Jiimself, and was unsuccessful at fir o t. . Hife Honour : It does not appear from information before me that he was fond of work. Mr. O'Leary said that prisoner had tried very much to get work, and did at last get a job as canvasser for an assurance company. He had earned sometimes a fe;v shillings a week. His highest weekly earnings had been £2 73. Air. Myers : I am informed that his average earnings were £2 7s a week. Mr. O'Leary added, that the prisoner was only moved to act as he did when he found himself in great want. The thing was forced upon him. He was a non-smoker and a non-drinker, and previous to this had been a man of good behaviour. ' His Honour expressed his sorrow tit having l o sentence the prisoner to a tei-m of imprisonment; but a good many cases of forgery came before the court, and he would have to make the sentences as definite as he could in the circumstances. A SERIOUS OFFENCE. Robert Ai-nolt was sentenced fo two years' imprisonment, with hard labour, for an indecent act at Levin. FORGERY. William 'M'Kay, alias Robinson, who had been charged with two offences of forgeiy and uttering, ond against whom .several* rimilar convictions were rocovded, was sentenced to four ' yeans hard labour on each charge, the Fen-te-ncc-s to be concurrem. His- Honour <:aid lie had had to consider whether an indeterminate sentence should not be inflicted in this case ; but the time between accused's last offences and those for which he had now been sentenced was fairly long,. A DANNEVIRKE CASE. A. Barrow, a young man from Daanovirke, was sentenced to nine months* imprisonment with hnrd labour for breaking and entering and theft. ■Mr. Wilford appeared for prisoner. 'Mr. 'Myers said this was not the first lesson piison&r had had. He had been sentenced, and was now serving sentences for offences at Feathcrston and Wellington. 'His Honour ascertained from prisoner's record that he had had a chance. FACILITY IN CASHING CHEQUES. John James O'Connor appeared on charges of forgery and uttering. Mr. Wilford, for prisoner, referred to what he described as the almost criminal feckless cashing of cheques in "Wellington, the means to do ill deeds making ill deeds done. His Honour agreed that cheques were cashable vuth astonishing facility. Detective 'Bro'berg said he knew tho priboner's antecedents well. Prisoner [ was a respectable, hard-working lad, and I was younger in years than his experience indicated. 'Sentence was deferred. [ ST. MARK'S CHURCH CASE. Michael Bronnan, who was defended by !Mi-. Williams, was sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment with hard labour on two charges of breaking a.n<2 j entering at .St. Mark's Church, Wellington, t Mr. Williams said the man was steady and sober and a member of the Rechabites' Lodge, and had committed no offence since 1896. Mr. 'Myers said the man's conduct wa6 reported to be satisfactory since 1896; ! but there was a bad record — a long I string of convictions before the last offence for which he had been sentenced. His Honour observed that he could not inflict an unduly light sentence in this case, as other people would be 6QCOUX"ag« ed thereby. The court then rose.