CRIMINAL SESSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1923, Page 3

CRIMINAL SESSIONS

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

(Per Press AssuciaUou.) AUCKLAND, November 7. At the Supreme Court, Norman Gibbs, 43, formerly secretary to the Thames Harbour Board, who had admitted 28 charges of theft and five of forgery, was sentenced to reiormative treatment not exceeding three .years. The total amount misappropriated was about £2OO, a great deal being patriotic funds. Archibald Alexander Charles Scott, for theft, breaking and entering, and wilful damage, with intent to obstruct transmission of telegrams, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Everard Storrs Braithwaite, 23, for wrongful conversion of Government moneys totalling £5O while in the Government’s employ, was placed on two years’ probation. DUNEDIN, November 7. At the Supreme Court, to-day, Thomas Joseph Christie, charged with breatking, entering and theft in respect to the 'Farmers’ Co-operative premises at Dunedin and Mosgiel, was found guilty on both counts and remanded for sentence. Henry Urquhart and James Bruman were charged with (1) breaking and entering, with intent to commit a crime, and (2) being unlawfully in a dwelling-house. Both were found guilty on the second charge and sentenced to three years’ reformative treatment. DUNEDIN, November 8. Joseph Thomas Christie, .alias, Joseph Vernon Williams, was sentenced to a total of fifteen years’ imprisonment on two charges of breaking, entering and theft at the premises of the Otago Farmers’ Co-op Company, and one charge of escaping from custody. Pdisoner’s counsel stated that accused had been twice committed to a. mental hospital, which was probably his trouble. , Judge Sim said that he noted from the record prisoner was declared an habitual criminal at Wellington in 1917. It seemed to be bis practice to get transferred from gaol to mental hospital then dodge the warder there. This had been done both in Australia, jand New JR-mland. Fie hoped the gaol, authorities would not be so easily persuaded as to insanity in future. The Crown Prosecutor intervened to state that it had been reported Christie made another attempt to escape custody within the past few days. The Judge, in imposing the sentence addressed the prisoner stating the result of the sentence should be that he would have no further opportunity to trouble the police. If he did it would be flue only to carelessness of the gaolers, because the Prison Board would never dream of releasing such a man.