CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 26, 1 February 1933, Page 9

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

THEFT CASES

A SIGN OF THE TIMES

True bills in .all the. ten .criminal cases presented to them, for consideration were ret.ur.ned by the. Grand Jury; at the opening, of the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court. tp : day. There are six cases of alleged-breaking and entering and theft, and his. Honour Mr. Justice Blair, in" addressing the Grand Jury, remarked that the prevalence of these offences seemed to-1)0 indicative of the times.: - -.: ■■-.■ - =-. . The following was the Grand Jury:—• Noel Wildinan Nelson' (foreman), William Allen Fraser, Francis Gerald Haycock, Leo James Augustus Lonergan, Ernest Escot Brooking, Leonard Henry. Allen, Richard Simon Bender, Herbert Henry Price, Leonard Sinclair Thompson, Keith Richardson, Harry Stone, Charles John Pirie, Charles Nicholas Cathie, William Meek Page, Thomas Morris, Edward Harold Mclnnis, Archibald McDougall.. HIS HONOUR'S CHARGE. His Honour : said that there came be« fore the Grand.Jury ten cases against seventeen accused persons." In two of the cases they would find that other persons had been involved, but pleas of guilty had been "previously entered. J-lie great, majority of the cases, in tact six of them, were charges involving breaking and" entering and theft or offences of that nature. They might be taken as indicative of the times, lor in the last two years or so there nad been a great increase in crimes of that kind. After briefly reviewing the evidence against the prisoners, his Honour sail he did not think that any; of the cases should give the Grand Jury much difficulty.: " .'. TRUE BILLS RETURNED. True bills were returned in. the fol« lowing cases:—Thomas Hale and Lewis Edward Bohloff, alleged breaking and entering ; and theft at Wellington; Stuart McColl and Phillip Gordon; Brazier, two charges of. theft; Stuart; McColl, alleged theft: Gilbert James Edwin Northcott and. Dennis Henry; Fryer, five charges of. breaking and entering and theft;" John Patrick Burke' and Mina Rusterholz, alleged receiving stolen property.. knowing it to hays been dishonestly obtained; John Lightfoot, alleged rogue'and vagabond; Frank Chapman: and Frederick John: Scriven,. alleged breaking and entering and theft at Masterton"; Athol Jordan Buckley, two charges of breaking and entering and' theft; Buckley and Harry Allan,: alleged arson; Alfred Birchfield and Leslie. Raymond McDowall, alleged breaking" and entering and theft ajid alleged mischief; ,Aubrey Lester Andrew, alleged breaking a^i'i entering and theft.