FATE IN THE BALANCE

Evening Post, Issue 29, 4 February 1935, Page 11

FATE IN THE BALANCE

,A SECOND REMAND

CHIEF JUSTICE'S ACTION

COURT'S DESIRE TO HELP

The fate of George William Gordon Sutton hangs in the balance until fur-! ther information can be supplied 1,0 I the Supreme Court as to the prospects , of his obtaining work or being placed in suitable environment. His Honour' the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) , remanded -Sutton when he appeared I for sentence last week on two counts j of forging and uttering cheques in July, 1933. His Honour then said he hesitated to imprison or confine a youth of Sutton's age when it was suggested that he had earned his living and. lived decently since the commission of the offence nearly two years before. Sutton appeared again this morning, When reports were presented from Detective-Sergeant McLeod, of Gisborne, and a detective in Auckland, purporting to throw light-oh Sutton's mode of life' in the interval. ENDEAVOUR TO FIND WORK. His Honour 1 further remanded Sutton to appear on February 13. At the Court's request the Probation Officer is to ascertain if some fitting employment cannot be: found. ."Are the Salvation Army willing to do anything for him?" asked his Honour of the Probation Officer. "I ddubt it, sir," was the reply His Honour:, Have they been asked? —No, sir. What was disturbing him, said his Honour, was ,that the offences were committed two years ago when the prisoner was 17: He wanted to sec whether there was any hope for the £°y-. .-V "I want to lielp him if I Can reasonably and properly," said his Honour. "I shall remand him until February .13. .' .~1 suggest, Mr. Mills—l know you are always anxious to do all you can for these -young men—you do what is possible to^see if this young man can have a. chance. .Of course, if nothing can be done for him, I shall have to send him to an institution, so that he shall 'not be at a loose end. It is one of these difficult. cases where it is hard to know" what to do for the best as affecting the interests of this boy and also the public interest." ' Mr. E. Hardie Boys; for Sutton, said he would get in touch with an uncle of the prisoner. ' * '