THIRTEEN PRISONERS

Evening Post, Issue 26, 31 January 1935, Page 14

THIRTEEN PRISONERS

PENALTIES FOR CRIMES

BURGLARY COMMON

TWO CASES HELD OVER

Thirteen prisoners who had admitted their crimes appeared before his Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) for sentence this morning.

The commonest crime was breaking and entering, and most of the prisoners were youthful. Two cases were held over for further facts to be secured to aid the Court. •

Cecil Edward Francis Burton, aged 22, and John Sutherland Howard, aged 19, both of Nelson, who, were associated, were sentenced for breaking and entering. Mr. 'R. R. Clarke, who appeared for Burton, pleaded for leniency.

I His Honour said that it appeared that Burton had embarked upon a criminal career. A sentence of reformative detention would be passed, and it would' depend upon the prisoner's conduct how long he was detained. A term of eight-, eon calendar months' imprisonment was imposed in Tespect of each charge. Howard, said his Honour, apparently had not been tho main culprit, boing charged with breaking, entering, and an attempt to steal, and not with the niajor charge. With some hesitation his Honour had decided to adopt the recommendation of the Probation Officer, and to grant Howard probation for a term of twelve months. John Alfred Whiffen, aged 21, was sentenced to reformative detention for eighteen calendar months for breaking, entering, and theft. Whiffen said he had been ordered to be detained in Borstal for four years in 1931. Ho, had been released after two years and endeavoured to go straight, but had been desperate when lie had committed the present crime. CRIMINAL RECORD. John Tahu Andrews, a Maori, aged 24. a married man, who had pleadod guilty to theft from a dwelling house, was shown to have a criminal record extending, back to 1925, there being a scries of Offences of dishonesty. He was serving a sentence of two months' imprisonment at present. He had made a written statement to the Court. He was. sentenced to 16 calendar months' imprisonment. with hard labour. An order was made for restitution of tho stolen property. William Thomas Stoneman, aged 37, a married man, appeared for sentence in respect of two offences of indecent assault upon a female child. Mr. R. Hardie Boys, on behalf of prisoner, said he thought Stoneman must have had a "kink." He had never been before the Court before. His Honour said ho did not like to pass sentence in tho case until ho possessed every shred of information that could be obtained. Tho prisoner would be remanded until February 1«> for sentence. "His original adventure in crime was due to a very serious lack in homo training," said Mr. W. P. Rollings for Basil Tui Bishop, aged 22, charged with breaking, -entering, and theft. Lack of supervision and bad example at home had'been unfortunate, and counsel was instructed that Bishop s first adventure began at the age of 11 years. The only thing that drove a man of the prisoner's typo to commit such crimes was lack of money and unemployment. It was truo there was a long list, but there was some hopo of reform.

LAST CHANCE GIVEN. "In the circumstances .I will impose what is a light sentence and may bo too lights," said his Honour. That would bo the prisoner's last chance, and he would run the risk of being dc- ( clarcd a habitual criminal if ho came before the Court again. He was sentenced to imprisonment for twelve months with hard labour. John Veich Crichton, aged 17,4, was ordered to be detained in a Borstal •institution 'for three years for breaking, entering,. and theft and indecent assault on a female.. Mr. A. J. Mazengarb, for Crichton, said it was.recognised by the prisoner's aunt that some discipline was needed for the boy, who had been unfortunate in that his mother had died at his birth. John Thomas Backhouse, aged 20, was sentenced to two years' detention in a Borstal institute for breaking, entering, . and theft in association with CrLchton; Mr. A. B. Sievwright pleaded for probation, considering that Backhouse was worth a chance. His parents were decent, respectable people. "I cannot help thinking that you both require- a considerable amount of disciplining, and the only way that can bo effected by this Court is to order you to bo detained for periods in a BorsfiaT institute," said his Honour.

OTHER CASES. Eighteen months' imprisonment for reformative purposes on each charge, the terms to bo served concurrently, was tie sentence imposed upon Trevor Mackenzie, aged 45, a labourer, on two charges of breaking, entering, and theft, aoid one of breaking and entering with intent, to commit a crime. The offences occurred at Hastings.

"Drink seems to have brought you to this trouble," said his. Honour to Thomas Barbeur, aged 53, a labourer, whom ho> sentenced to nine months' imprisonment "with hard labour on a charge of breaking, entering, and theft at Palmerston North. The sentenco is to be served concurrently with a short one Barbeur is at present serving. ■

Impressing upon the prisoner the very serious, nature of his offence, his Honour seartenced Victor Etovenaux, aged 49, a labourer, to four years' imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of imsest.

"I "can find no mitigating circumstances in this case," was the comment of his Honour regarding William Clarence Carson, aged 29, a bridge builder, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of carnal knowledge* at Dannevirke. Ho was sentence^ to imprisonment for reformative purposes for, two and a half years. Mr. A. J. Mazengarb appeared for him.