SUPREME COURT

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 20, 24 July 1933, Page 8

SUPREME COURT

■ QUARTERLY SESSION

FIFTEEN INDICTMENTS

HEAVIEE CALENDAR

» The third quarterly session of the Isuprerno Court for this year opened tosday, Mr. Justice Heed presiding.

In his charge to the Grand Jury, his Honour said he regretted to say that the calendar was heavier than usual. There were fifteen indictments involving some sixteen alleged offenders, and, in addition, 3.1 prisoners had been dealt with on pleas of guilty since tho last session. The increase in tho number of offenders was regrettable, but no safe deduction could be drawn that crime was on the increase in the district. It might be only a passing phase. His Honour referred briefly to the evidence in the cases to come before the Court, and in doing so made special | mention of cases arising out of motorcar accidents and the increase throughout New Zealand of the crime of breaking and entering. His Honour's remarks in this connection appear' under separate headings. A number of tho cases involved charges of theft and dishonesty. There are three cases in which tho alleged offence is indecent assault, and three cases arising out of tho seamen's strike. hx two other cases, motorists aro to stand trial on counts of haying caused death by negligently driving motorcars. One of the cases is a sequel to a sensational accident at Island Bay at midnight on April 1, when a motor-car went over,, a bank and four of a party returning from a cabaret were killed. In the other case tho charge arises out of an, accident on the Hutt Eoad outside the woollen mills on the evening of June 2.

THE GRAND JURY.

The following Grand Jury wa3 empanelled:—Arthur Jacobs (foreman), Thomas McDermott, Arthur Jeffries, Thomas Knudson i Garratt, Leonard Richard Tingey, Norman Stephen*Simpsor. Perry, David Henry Taylor,' William Robertson, Norman Hugh McFarlane, Harry Arthur Shepherd, Reeves McCartney, Sydney . James Hayden> Morton Duff, William Holmes, Arthur Stanhope Johnson, ■ Charles Hpbbs, Leonard Charles Avery, Hugh Douglas, Kenneth Thomas Wilkinson, Michael Claudo Walker, Charles Clarence Gill, Arthur Cooper Clendon, Charles Whitlock Budd.

A true bill was returned by the Grand Jury in all cases.

THE"FIRST CASE.

A Carterton case was the first to come up for trial. John Henry Dearness, dental mechanic, aged 29, was the.accused, and he was charged with having indecently assaulted a girl aged 10, daughter of the lady with whom he boarded. '

-. Tho. Court was cleared during the trial, which had not concluded at the time of going to press.

Mr. C. C. Marsack, Masterton, ap peared as counsel for the accusedy