PENALTIES FOR CRIME

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1932, Page 7

PENALTIES FOR CRIME

PRISONERS SENTENCED

YOUTHS' ESCAPADE

PROBATION'; GRANTED

, Prisoners.^ere sentenced by his Hon-tj' our the Chief Justice, Sir Michael! Myers, at the Suprejne>Court yesterdayi-' Jack Carr, aged 21 years, and' Dudley Holdsworth Smith, aged 20 years, appeared for sentence on two charges of breaking, entering, < and theft. Counsel for the prisoners stated that x the two youths had been to a birthday 'party where they took intoxicating -liquor. They seized a motor-cycle and . went to Karori, where they took a mo-tor-car-and.w^ent-as far as Levin; where they;; "broke the window of W jeweller's shop and took-nine watches;'they also •broke-..the w^idow of a hairdresser's ■hop at' Shannon and took; some ciga*rettesV:' ■ ■-*&?■"■■[. ■ " .' ;i#. ; J

' The Crowri vProsecutor statc#;that the! i watches and-; ;ithe cigarettes?'-had been!' ■restored. 1 damage:|p 'tho^vindo^s ■ amounted to'£4s. < : • ■ - - -

< • Saying that the Probation Officer had ■■' -made a, favourable recommendation, his ; Honour said he proposed^to admit?,'the' prisoners to probation for four ye'ars.ya i ■ condition being that they madiav^gobd i ' the damage done to the wind'oiyii'- 'fI ' do not propose to make an'order pro- , hibiting you from taking"iiquor," ■ lie ; said. .''Your own gobd-.tsense should be sufficient "to guide you in that con- ■ 'neetion. One of the statutory condii j ;tions is that you Should be of good behaviour. You have had your lesson, you have had your.'chaKce; take > care that, you don ?t abuse the oppor.-, \ Ituriity'thirt.'you Wow" have'J.p'f; making good.'l' V They; te> pay the ' costs'/of -the.prosecution,£ll7 S 6a. *" i '-.I Francis William Max Just, aged 20 :. -years, was admitted to probation for ; three years on two charges df breaking^ •entering, and theft. He was ordered : -to pay_the costs; of; the: prosecution, £1 • 1 19s, within six months.. " You are .being given an.opportunity of becoming _ a respectable citizen," said his Honour. ."I.hope that the future w.iirshpwvjhat ■■ [1 was justvlied in taking this course." :' Hugh Simons, aged,2o years,, was 1 sentenced to reformative detention for three, years on three charges of break;;!ing, entering, and theft. ■ His Honour 1 vief erred to the prisoner ,'s record. "Ap'lparently you arg.incorrigible," he said; V it is no use sending.you back,to the ' Borstal.. lam afraid there is nothing 1 "to do'but try a period' of" reformative .'detention." ■ . ■ ■ i ■>■..• •';*. PAnreyi.case.*' ■ i •" James' Devon) a salesman, aged" 32 . • years, was admitted to probation for •' five years on two charges of theft as 1 -'a servant.' !■ .• • ."' ;. ■"•'• '■ .-■.:■ '"' ■•.' :-. *■ -Prisoner's counsel" described the case '• as a painful one. About 18 months ago, ■ said counsel, the prisoner was induced ; to purchase a house, and at that, time Avas earning;£B a week. As a result of ' ; economic ; conditions his income dropped : to £5 14s, and he had difficulty, in keepj * ing up payments on two mortgages, and - before'very long the whole thing "got ■him under." He was npt a, gambler " or-a. drinker. : The amount of his de-. falcations amounted to £lOii over a ■'period of five months. ; ;' I ■' '' His Honour said that he.- haft, very ' grave .doubts', sis to whether, he should extend the provisions pf the Probation Act. He was influenced' by '"the"fact ' that the prisoner's employers^■-'*" who were perhaps the best judge of his . character, were prepared to re:employ ; him. In the existing conditions^ par- ; \ tienlarly, it was better that: the prisoner* ; < «houldr have'that opportunity, thali'that; ■£ he:,should be sent to prison aid his' ; ■ family'become 'a burden: )':He j was j ordered to pay '.'&s\ 5s •'7d%ostsj /and :. make restitution. * /■'. ■.'["-.. '■ '!.' "■■'■''■ i. Allan '.Robinson, aged 24 years, was ,:; a3pitted to probation"; for twelve ,'. months for- forgery arid' uttering, . at ,". Taihape. He was ordered-.to pay costs, ; £6.lss,^wi!thin,fqur moritfisV "You a|^. ,; a .first offender,; and the Probation' Officer .says.-you" have, very; sober ' habits,'Vremarked his.Honour. '■'■":' •'_, : Thomas jy. Pox, a salesman, aged 37' . .years, was sentenced- to two years* hard labour-on three charges of obtain- ;: ing money by false pretences at Wangaaui. "You took: advantage of.'the , ; credulity, of, a man, apparently of some • ? l7I>MS.it3r' who h»d shown a desire to le'P~you»" remarked his Honour. "The ; offences are shabby offences."*' The - 86nt?nc88. are .tp.be concurrent. .... Arthur Reginald Borland, alias Jack Orbell, alias Grant, alias Montefiore, alias Stewart; aged 33 years; .'was-Ben-- . ; tenced\,to ■12 months' hard ;'labour J'for* C. a breach of his probation;, ■ X'l--.-THEFT FEOM POWicB BOAED. ••f_. Ternon Hastings Bichardson, a clerk, aged 3p years, appeared for sentence for . theft as a servant, at Wanganui.!; i • Counsel described the case as a sad one, and said that ; the. prisoner had pleaded guilty to the misappropriation t of £601 as a servant of the Waneanui- ; Eangrtikei Electric Power Board, be--;iire November, 1929, and December, - 1931. During that period he had received,* salary of £425, which had been reduced to £400.. One amount was taken m the, sum of £119/ and another in the sum of £100. Counsel asked his Honour to exercise the" greatest leniency on the grounds that restitution was being made, and that the prisoner's character had been excellent. He did not gamble or drink. His trouble was due to unfortunate speculations prior to his appointment to his recent position. _ He was wounded at the war, and was m baft health when he returned. He was sent to Auckland with some money and bought a shop, losing his ~ money. Counsel outlined other business deals in which the prisoner had not besn successful, and said that ultimately the, prisoner came out of them with a second-hand" motor-car, and had not realised that he had not re- " -keyed himself-from personal liabilities I have already said that this is not a case in which I can grant probation," said his Honour. "I wish I could, but ' I would not be doing my duty. - Here • » person is in a position of trust and he abuses that trust - systematically over a lengthy period. Probation is ' out of the question." / ■ A sentence of two years' reformative detention was imposed.