SUPREME COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 October 1931, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

BURGLARS SENTENCED. [PJB PBESB ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, October 28. Three men who took part in burglaries at Wiri and Point Chevalier in August were sentenced to terms of imprisonment by Mr Justice Herdman to-day. In burgling at Wiri, the men were surprised by the owner of the store, and revolver shots were fired. The Judge said that he looked on the men’s exploits as a serious crime. Thomas Edwards, aged thirty-eight, a motor-driver, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment with hard labour. Lloyd Richard Faithfull, aged thirty-two, a labourer, was sentenced to two years’ hard labour, George Edward Allen, aged thirty-three, a labourer, who, the Judge said, seemed to be the worst of the three, was sentenced to three years’ hard labour. GIRL ACQUITTED. PALMERSTON"N„ October 27. In the Supreme Court to-day, Daphne Jones, aged twenty, a kitchenmaid, was found not guilty to a charge of wilfully setting fire to tearooms at Levin on July 29. JURY DISAGREES. CHRISTCHURCH, October 28. The jury failed to reach an agreement in the trial in the Supreme Court yesterday of Cyril Turnbull Gribbin on charges of breaking and entering the warehouse of Guthri i, Bowron and Co., on August 5, and committing theft; of stealing paint brushes and other goods to the value of £25/13/-; and of receiving those goods knowing them to have been stolen. Accused pleaded not guilty, Mr Justice Adams presided. No evidence was called for the defence. The jury retired at 3.54 p.m., and returned at 8.40 p.m., with the announcement that it had failed to agree. A new trial was ordered to take place at the end of the session.

P. AND T. CLERKS. CHRISTCHURCH, October 29. At the Supreme Court, after hearing charges of theft of £228, against James Thomas Toomey, and Murdoch Kenneth Campbell, formerly clerks in the Post and Telegraph Department, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty in Campbell’s case, and guilty in the case of Toomey. The jury added a rider to the effect that lack of supervision by the Department was to be deplored. Campbell was discharged. Toomey was remanded for sentence. BANKRUPT ON TRIAL. CHRISTCHURCH, October 29. The trial is proceeding at the Supremo Court of Washington Irving Carney, a woolbuyer, on charges (1) that being adjudged bankrupt, he had by unjustifiably extravagant living brought about bankruptcy; (2) that he contracted a debt of £l7 with the Rink Taxis, Ltd.; (3) that he contracted a debt of £l2 with J. E. Hurdley and Son, Ltd., both without expectation of ability to pay. The Crown Prosecutor said the accused was in a sad position, but the facts had to be considered. The losses made in business, especially in such bad times, could bo excused, but the Crown suggested that extravagance in living of the accused had been the real cause of bankruptcy. For the defence, counsel (Mr. Lascelles) said the wool business was a peculiar thing. Prices always came back, and Carney had reasonable expectations of soon being able to make enough to meet his obligations. Carney would say that his money was expended, not in riotous living, but in heavy, and sometimes unexpected, overheads. When the slump came he, like many others, thought it was cowardly to quit ,and that he would win through. The hearing is proceeding.