PRISONERS SENTENCED

Evening Star, Issue 22365, 15 June 1936, Page 9

PRISONERS SENTENCED

CHIMES AGAINST PROPERTY A CONFIRMED KLEPTOMANIAC [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH. June 15. Two young men, William John Davidson and William Malcolm Leitch, were sentenced by Mr Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court this morning for breaking into a shop and theft. Davidson jwas sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and Leitch was placed oa probation for two years. It was stated that Davidson had been released from the Borstal only last December. The-suggestion that the prisoner suffered from a form of kleptomania was made,, by the judge when sentencing Harry Thomas Betts, aged 38 years, for housebreaking and theft (four charges), house breaking with intent to commit theft (four charges), and attempted house breaking with intent to commit theft (two charges). Betts was sentenced to three years’ hard labour. . , “ Yours is a very difficult case, said the judge to Betts. “ You are before me for sentence on 10 separate charges, and have admitted breaking into 24 different houses. You have a long list. You have had reformative detention for three years, and recently 15 months’ hard labour. You had only been released when you set out to commit tli is series of burglaries. They are not of a dangerous character, but rather an aggravated v form of sneak thieving. It seems to be a form of kleptomania, but, as society is ordered at present, there is no adequate treatment for\this condition, and you cannot harry the community in this way. You will be sentenced to three yean with hard labour.” . Three youths who had committed burglary were each sentenced to three years’ detention in the Borstal Institute. They were Cecil Hedley Gilchrist, Winston Mearil Yeatman, and Leslie William Rasmussen.