TEN YEARS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3574, 25 February 1914, Page 8

TEN YEARS.

188 HOUSES BROKEN liNTO

A young man concerned in the 188 forceful entries into houses and various kinds of buildings during the last 10 or 12 months, was sentenced at the Darlinghurst Quarto;' Sessions tli;i other day.

Frank Stanley Wnllis-Taylor, tinaccused, had pleaded guilty to 15 charges of breaking and entering, and it was shown on official evidence that the total of his peculations was £1594. Detective Hawe, who was at the arrest stated that a lot of the stolen property was recovered by the assistance of the prisoner. The officer said that of the 188 “breakings,” 37 had not been accompanied by stealing. The prisoner was wit-lrfHit a “record.”

Judge Docker said that in a general statement the prisoner had requested him to deal with him leniently. He had attempted to make it appear that he was truly repentant, but bis Honor had heard similar statements before. In the plea put before the Bench, prisoner said that the man who stole £SOOO or £SOO was not so much to blame as the man who stole sd, because if the opportunity had presented itself the thief of 5d would most gladly have been the thief of £SOOO. Therefore more leniency should he shown in connection with the stealing of the greater sum than by the smaller. ° His Honor said it would be absurd to impose a light sentence. Prisoner had pleaded guilty to 15 charges of breaking and entering, the penalty for which was severe. It was to be recognised that householders had to be protected, and his Honor hoped that the punishment he was about to jnfiict would not alone have a salutary effect upon the prisoner but would have a deterrent effect upon others likeminded.

The sentence was 10 years’ penal servitude on each charge, the terms to be concurrent.

His Honor ordered that the goods traced to the pawnbroking establishments should be restored to the owners it having been explained that a fairly reasonable notice of the robberies had been given.