SUPREME COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 August 1929, Page 5

SUPREME COURT

ATTEMPTED BUCKMAIL AUCKLANDER CONVICTED (Per Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 1. At the Supreme .Court, the Jury returned a vetdict of guilty in the charge of demanding money by menaces against Harry Cooper Douglas, 57, railway employee. The demands were made over the ’phone upon a grocer by a man who asked for £7, and later £2, for the return of what were said were incriminating letters and photographs, reflecting on the grocer’s wife. The grocer enlisted the services of the police at the appointment made, and this led to the accused’s arrest. Sentence was deferred till Wednesday. PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS. (Special to ‘‘Star.’’) AUCKLAND, August 1. “A suggestion has been made that once a person has been convicted, the fact is never allowed to be fgj.’gotten in a court of law, but that is not so,” said Justice Ostler, yesterday, following evidence for the Crown, relating to the charge of forgery. Evidence was given by accused who when questioned, admitted that he was convicted several times before 1926.

Counsel for the defence, later referred to this admission, stating it was unfortunate that old offences should be recalled as this was likely to prejudice the accused person in the eyes of the jury. In summing up, the Judge said it was wrong to suppose that because a person had once been convicted, the past offences would necessarily count against him on trial by a jury. If this man had not gone into the witness box ift would have been against the law to mention his previous convictions.

His Honor explained to the jury: You would have been entitled to assume that he was a man of good character and tried him accordingly. If a man gives evidence and holds himself out as a truthful witness, and he turns out to be a man with convictions for dishonesty against him, it is only right that the jury should know the character of the man they are asked to believe. For that reason only is a Crown Prosecutor allowed to cross examine a person about previous convictions. "PIE CART” TRAGEDY. WELLINGTON, July 30. The Grand Jury threw out the charge of manslaughter against Eric Matthews, a petty officer on H.M.S. Diomede. The case was known as the “Pie Cart Case.” Theodore Melville Jennens, a land agent, was found guilty of fraudulently converting to his own use £5O. DUNEDIN SESSIONS DUNEDIN, July 31. At the Supreme Court sessions, John Milne, charged with unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of sixteen years, "was found not guilty, and was discharged from custody. Thomas Scurr, an auctioneer in the city, was called on to answer a charge of misappropriating the sum of £262, the property of the Assignee in an estate. The accused pleaded not guilty. Evidence for' the prosecution was heard, and the Court adjourned until to-morrow morning, when counsel for the accused will address the jury. DUNEDIN, August 1. At the Supreme Court, Thomas Scurr, auctioneer,, was acquitted on a charge of stealing or converting to his own use £282 received on terms requiring him to account for it to David Leslie. The defence was that the money had been repaid, and no intention of dishonesty was revealed. RECEIVER IMPRISONED TIMARU, August 1. At the Supreme Court to-day, George Catlow, who was found guilty earlier in the week on a charge of receiving stolen property, was ordc’-ed to be detained for reformative treatment for a period not exceeding three years.