SENT TO GAOL

Evening Star, Issue 21783, 27 July 1934, Page 12

SENT TO GAOL

CHARGES OF BREAKING AND ENTERING PLEDGER SENTENCED IN SUPREME COURT Courtney Clark Pledger, - twentyseven years of age, was sentenced by His Honour Mr Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court this morning to imprisonment of two years six months with hard labour on charges of breaking, entering, and theft. Mr U. J... L. White, who appeared for the prisoner, said Pledger was the second oldest of a large family, and since leaving school had worked about the countryside as a farm labourer. He bau a seasonal job as a timber worker. The prisoner did not have a very creuhablo list, but there were no serious charges against him since he. was a mere boy, and it was not till April of last year that he: was sent' to gaoi, when..he received a-'sentence of two months . for the- theft of . spme cutlery,: He was released from prison in June, :but was then out of work, and had a lot of spare : time on his hands. He fell into bad company; and broke into the shed where a quantity of bottled beer was stored. It was a great temptation to men addicted to drink. Later another; man and he broke into' a store and stole tobacco. Afterwards .he disappeared: from Dunedin, and was arrested , three and a-ha!f months ago.: For many months he had' had the nightmare of a charge hanging over him, and counsel suggested • that the constant: fear of arrest must have been worse than any other punishment he might undergo. Prisoner’s position seemed : to be the result of drink and bad company. : . The Crown Prosecutor (Mr F. B. Adams) said it seemed that Pledger had accumulated: enough convictions-to have qualified as an habitual criminal. It was not .till last.year that he went to gaol; and' probably -the inference, from that was that the crimes were not very serious, but from, the records they did appear to be serious. His Honour, in passing sentence on Pledger, said: You have pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a shop and stealing goods therefrom. You have also pleaded guilty to the crime of breaking and entering by night a dwelling house, with intent to commit a crime therein. You appear to have eluded justice for about nine months It is stated that you have been imprisoned for three months. You might have been earlier sentenced if you had earlier made your present plea. Yon have been frequently treated with leniency and probation extended to you has proved of no ultimate avail. You have been before the court on various charges, some not very serious and others serious, on no fewer than eleven occasions. You appear to have been progressively declining until you have committed crimes of the present gravity. His Honour then passed sentence of two years’ hard labour on one charge, and two years' and six months’ hard labour on the other charge, the sentences to be concurrent.