SUPREME COURT—CRIMINAL

Evening Star, Issue 16033, 9 February 1916, Page 7

SUPREME COURT—CRIMINAL

(Before His Honor Mr Justice Sim.) Two more cases were concluded in the Supremo Court yesterday afternoon. CHRISTENSEN CONVICTED. In the case against Christian Christensen, charged with receiving jam the property of Irvine and Stevenson well knowing the same to have been dishonestly Ob’tamed, the jury retired at 3.10, and returned at 7-30 with a verdict of guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy on account of the previous good character of the prisoner. His Honor remanded prisoner for sentence. THEFT. Claude Osmond Barker was charged with on December 30 stealing an overcoat, a. rug, a suit of clothes, and sundry articles of clothing of the value of £l2 12s 3d, the property of the New Zealand Clothing’Factory. Ha pleaded not guilty. The Crown Prosecutor said that the case was one known as theft by a trick. Accused was a clever young man, and got the I goods without paying for them in this way: He selected the goods at the Clothing Factory s shop in the Octagon, and asxed that they should be sent to the Grand Hotel, when they would be paid for. When a lad took the goods to the hotel he was handed an envelope by the accused and believing it contained a"cheque inpayment, he gave a receipt. When the letter was opened at the shop it was found to contain a. note from the accused saving he had decided to cash the cheque' at the hotel office, and, that he would go to the shop and pay for the goods. Evidence was given by Ernest J. Darrocot, Ernest Johnstone, Ernest V. Slyfiekl. Pictor T. Wilson, Mrs Spedding," Miss Amge, and, Detective Hall, Accused called evidence and then addressed the jury. He contended that the case was not one of theft, but one of debt. He had money in the hands of Messrs Aslm and Bedford, and he promised in his letter to the prosecutors that he would call and pay tor the goods. The jury, after retiring for 50 minutes returned with a verdict of guilty. Prisoner was remanded for sentence. WELLINGTON. Albert James Adams and Robert Ralph Lair, seamen, were yesterday charo-cd wirh stealing tinned foods and surgical instruments, etc., from the steamer Corinthic when she was at Wellington in December. It was alleged that the prisoners, who had been drinking heavily, broke into the ship’s surgery and purloined the goods. The surgery- was accidentally set on fire. The jury returned a verdict of guilty with no criminal intent, the act being committed while the men were under the influence of temporary insanity. His Honor said he would have to consider what the effect of the verdict was. Osesar Waters was found utility of indecent assault on a boy, and sentence was deferred. TIMARU. After a hearing lasting all day, the jury acquitted William Tiplady, a‘farmer at Geraldine, on two charges of sheep stealing—l 4 from one neighbor and 4 from another. Some of the sheep were found with the accused’s brand on top of the other, but not hiding it. The defence was that the sheep had strayed and got boxed, and were branded in error in a hurry late in the day. The jury added a rider that the law should require all ,sheep branding to bo done between sunrise and sunset.