SUPREME COURT-CRIMINAL

Evening Star, Issue 16033, 9 February 1916, Page 4

SUPREME COURT-CRIMINAL

(Before His Honor -Mr Justice Sim.) The quarterly criminal sittings woro concluded tliis morning. FALSE PPETENCE. Claude Osmond Barker, convicted yesterday of theft, was further charged with on or about December 28, falsely repreienting that ho was a military man staving at the Criterion Hotel on holiday, 'and thereby obtaining from Matthew Bradley a pair of boots valued at £1 7s 6d. Accused, when called on last night pleaded not guilty. This morning ho intimated tuat he had changed his mind, and would now plead guilty. Accused asked tor leniency, saying that he was only 20 years of age. oon. he t C I OWII Pr , osecut or said that on the 28th of August, 1914, accused was arrested on a charge of failing to account to Bray Bros, for the sum of £l3 Os 7d, and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment. On the Bth of February, 1915, he was convicted of stealing a motor bicycle, and was sentenced to six months’. On tho 1912) ho was con victed of tlie theft of a motor bicycle, and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Pnor to August, 1914, he was engaged in a small canvassing business in Oamarn 1 where tcmciimd debts amounting to about £IOO. On the 24th of December, inifni p W i as <j j sclla rs ed fr °m the InverG w l and . aJ>l ? V( ' d in Dunedin that night. He entered into some business agreements with eight business people in this City. He selected certain articles and arranged to have his initials put on them. Tho amount of his attempted purchases was £ls, without including the sums in the two present cases. The police

said that prisoner was suffering from some mental aberration. Ho seemed to be very His Honor said that, looking at the circumstances and the report of tho police, the best course to adopt was to sentence Smlf" 0 V° ng 0f r °fcrmativo S . Ho . Would be sentenced to six months imprisonment on each charge, and would be detained thereafter for reformative treatment for a period of not more than five years, the sentences of imprisonment to be cumulative. CHRISTENSEN FINED. Christian Christensen, who was found guilty of receiving stolen proportv, came up for sentence. Mr Invin said that prisoner’s previous character had been exceptionally good. He had been hero for a number of years and two gentlemen had voluntarily' come forward to give evidence as to his good character. 6 Captain Sundstrum said that he had known prisoner for about 40 years. Ha nad been in business for a gieat many years His character had been excellent at all times. Ho had a most highly esteemed family. ' Thomas A Maitland, merchant, eaid that he had known prisoner for 20 years. He had done business with him, and had always found him thoroughly honest and straightforward.

The Crown Prosecutor said that tho police report was somewhat different to the evidence just given. ’The report was that prisoner was married' and had resided' here for about 35 years. He was a manufacturer of confectionery on a small scale. Prior to entering into business on his own account he was employed by a firm ot confectioners in Dunedin, and they had told the police that he frequently came to their premises to make small purchases, and that they did not trust him. They had issued instructions to their storeman that he was not to bo left alone. There seemed' to be very, little doubt that at least one ton of jam was stolen from brine and Stevenson’s premises.

His Honor said that th© report of the police regarding prisoner was not favorable, but there appeared to be nothing more than suspicion against him in respect to anything.other than the present case. He thought, therefore, in dealing with, the case he ought not assume that .prisoner had not hitherto been a man of good character. And in dealing with him he must take into consideration the fact that the jury strongly recommended him to mercy. Ha thought, looking at the circumstances and having regard to the particular recommendation of the jury, he would be justi-' fled in imposing a fine, which, however, would have to be a substantial one. Prisoner would be ordered to pay a fine of £SO and. ordered' to be detained until the fine was paid, the term of imprisonment. not to exceed six months. THEFT. David Cameron, found guilty of the theft of hides, next came up for sentence. The Crown Prosecutor said, that prisoner ’a correct name was Andrew Cameron. On the 20th of January, 1902, at Taihape, ho was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment for assaulting his father. Ho worked in the North Island in saw-mills, and was looked upon as a half-witted individual. He had recently been living in Dunedin. Shortly aiter his arrival he married a widow with children. She knew very little about him. On the 29th of November, 1915, at Dunedin, ho was convicted on three charges of theft from warehouses and was sentenced to’one month’s imprisonment on each charge, the sentences being cumulative. He was evidently a cunning thief of a low mental type. His present sentences would expire at the end of this month. His Honor sentenced prisoner to 18 months’ imprisonment, with hard labor; the sentence to commence at the expiration of prisoner’s present sentence. This concluded the sittings. WELLINGTON. At the Supreme Court to-day Mr Jitsticft Chapman sentenced Thomas Langlois (a Frenchman) to seven years and Caesar Wauters (a Eelgian)’ to six years, both for indecent assault. In the case of Albert -James Adam and Robert Ralph Carr, seamen, charged with theft from the Gorinthic, in which the jury found that the robbery was committed while the accused were in a state of temporary insanity, the Judge ordered the prisoners to bo detained in custody, and said ho would state a case for the Court of Appeal to decide the meaning of the verdict.