SUPREME COURT

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 134, 9 June 1919, Page 8

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED

This morning, at the Supreme Court, his Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), pas6ed sentence on a number of prisoners who had pleaded guilty in the Lower Court.

Ivan Illing, a Weraroa escapee, came up for sentence on offences of theft from a dwelling, theft of a motor-cycle, and breaking, and entering. He was sentenced to three years' reformative treatment on each charge, the terms to, be concurrent.

George Edward Welch, Earnest Edward Earnshaw, and Edward Albert Francis Erickson, for breaking and entering a jewellers' shop at Pahiatua, were sentenced to three years' reformative treatment. There was a second offence of the theft of a cycle against Welch and Earnshaw, and a similar sentence was im-posed in this case—to run concurrently. A. Furness \vas sentenced to three years' reformative treatment for breaking, entering, and theft. Mr. J. A. Scott appeared, for the accused.

A young man, L. Gilmer, guilty of the forgery and uttering of a cheque for £50, was represented by Mr. A. W. Blair, who asked for leniency. Counsel pointed out that the financial straits in which the accused had found himself were due to ffis gambling propensities. It was a caee of surrendering to temptation, but the accused had got no benefit out of his action at all, as the signature on the cheque., was totally unlike that of the alleged drawer. His Honour granted the request of counsel and admitted accused to probation for a period of, two_ years, on condition that, during that time he refrains from gambling in any form.