SUPREME COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1930, Page 2

SUPREME COURT

EX-POLICEMAN’S TRIAL.

[per press association.]

CHRISTCHURCH May 6

Addressing the Grand Jury at the opening of the Supreme Court, Judge Adams said that he could not congratulate them on the very low character of the calender, which includedseveral sexual cases. There was an indictment against Joseph Reginald Wilson, of an alleged scries of thefts from shops and warehouses. Wilson was a member of the police force at tho time the offences were alleged to have .taken- place. Quite a lot of goods disappeared. They were found in the possession, of a young woman to whom Wilson was engaged.

AUCKLAND’S LIGHT LIST

AUCKLAND, May 6.

“This is tho lightest Calendar I’ve had to deal with in Auckland during a period of nine years,” said Judge., Herdman, to-day, in his charge to the Grand Jury. “There are but thirteen cases in all, aiid one only, a charge of murder, is really serious. If the number of cases to come before this sitting of the court is accepted as a test of crime, then tho people of Auckland district are to be congratulated on having a law-abiding community.

TOO MANY MOTORING ACCIDENTS

PALMERSTON NORTH, May 6. Reference to the increasing number of motor' fatalities was made by the Chief Justice (Sir M. Myers) in his charge to the Grand Jury at the opening of tho Supreme Court session. Commenting on two cases for trial, involving the deaths of three persons, he stated: “Such fatalities are becoming all too frequent and are very, very serious. A great district like you represent is to be congratulated that it does not require more than two criminal. cases for trial, although I don’t know that it will be a matter for congratulation, having regard to observations I have made. It is a fact that these cases are not criminal ones in the ordinary .sense; they are cases in which the circumstances have to be investigated fully, as they involve in one instance the death of two fellowcreatures, and in the other case one.” Proceeding to discuss both, cases, his Honor added that one could scarcely take up a newspaper now without seeing one or more, or many more, of these tragedies reported.

NOT GUILTY.

WELLINGTON, May 5

In the Supreme Court, a verdict of not guilty was returned in the case in which James Henry was charged with carnally knowing a girl, aged 14.