PRISONERS SENTENCED

Evening Star, Issue 22878, 9 February 1938, Page 14

PRISONERS SENTENCED

BREAKING AND ENTERING CHARGES In the Supreme Court this afternoon two prisoners appeared before His Honour Mr Justice Kennedy for sentence. Charles Hugh Edward Thomas, a ship’s fireman, who pleaded guilty in the lower court to eight charges involving breaking and entering and theft, was sentenced to nine months’ reformative detention on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. Mr J. G. Warrington, who appeared for Thomas, submitted that these were not the normal cases of breaking and entering. Thomas had had some drink on the night on which the offences took place, and was not allowed to go on watch because of his condition. Throughout his life drink had been his downfall, but now he had. repented for what he had done. He had been in custody for a month. In passing sentence His Honour remarked that the number of offences was large, hut not as serious as they first appeared. William Percival Blackmore, who had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of breaking and entering and theft, was represented by Mr Warrington, who said that the man was of a weak type, and had been led, into committing the crimes. He was under the thumb of another man who was well known to the police. His actions were not deliberately criminal.

The prisoner was before the court last year on a charge of dishonesty, said His Honour. In the breaking and entering be had not taken a major part, but it was an indispensable part. He would be sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, with hard labour, on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent