PRISON ESCAPEES

Evening Star, Issue 21709, 2 May 1934, Page 6

PRISON ESCAPEES

SHOULD BE DEALT WITH SUMMARILY PRESENT PROCEDURE EXPENSIVE [Pb* Ukitbd Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Alay 1. Strong disapproval of the law which enables men escaping from prison to put the country to the expense of a trial before a jury was expressed by Mr Justice Ostler when delivering his charge to th<? grand jury at tho Supremo Court to-day. The judge said that two men, Raymond Claude Hogg and John Thomas Hartley, were charged with escaping from the Haiitu Prison Camp on February 16. They were serving fairly long" sentences. There was no doubt they attempted to escape, • although there might he a, point of law whether they were still on prison property. They were not captured until after thirty-six hours. “ Escaping is an indictable offence,” said the judge, “and I, do not think it ought to he. 'The consequence is that the person who is charged has a right to be tried by jury. I do not think that is right. A person who has become a criminal and forfeited his rights as a citizen should be dealt with bv tho prison officials; but these two men are able to put tho country to tho expense of bringing them from Hautu under the charge of an officer from the camp and two warders. These, officials have to be here for several days, and substitutes have to: bo found to do their work and look after the 100 or more prisoners down there. Clearly that is gqing to cost tho country a considerable amount, all to give two criminals a little holiday in Auckland.” The judge said he did not know what the jury thought of it, but he thought it was absolutely wrong that criminals should he able to put tho country to all that expense. He suggested" that if tho jury agreed' with him it could make some rider to that effect. He would be very happy to send it on to the authorities. Tho following rider was returned by the grand jury;—'‘The graud jury is of the opinion, owing to the expenses incurred in bringing the prisoners before a common jury for trial, that it would bo better for the offence of escaping from prison to be dealt with by a magistrate or justice of tho peace under the appropriate prison regulations.”