PRISONERS’ APPEAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 April 1933, Page 7

PRISONERS’ APPEAL

COOK ISLANDS SENTENCES. " [PEB PBISS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, March 31. The Court of Appeal today heard an appeal by Kairoia Koia and Ngaterongo Israle, both of Cook Islands, from sentences of hard labour totalling five years and fifteen years respectively, imposed by the High Court of the Cook Islands. The first prisoner, while already serving a term of hard labour, with two and a-half years to run, escaped from custody and broke into a store. He was convicted of burglary and was sentenced to one year’s hard labour. The second prisoner, who was serving a term of hard labour, with seven - and a-half years to run, also escaped, and set fire to a store after burgling it. He was convicted on two charges of burglary and one of arson, and was sentenced to three terms each of five years’ hard labour, his sentences to be cumulative. The case is unusual, in that both the Crown and the appellants are represented by the Solicitor-General, Mr Fair, who stated that the preliminary question for the decision of the Court was whether the Court of Appeal had the power to review the sentences that were imposed in the Cook Islands.

After hearing legal argument, the Court reserved its decision.