COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 13 May 1925, Page 8

COURT NEW S

AUCKLAND SENTENCES. THE FUR THIEVES. AUCKLAND, May 12. At the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Alpers sentenced Robert Heaton Munro and Daniel Thomas Flynn, for breaking and entering and theft, the former to five years’ hard labour, and the latter to three years’ hard labour. The prisoners’ counsel for accused asked for leniency, owing to the assistance given by them in the recovery of the stolen property. Mr Justice Alpers remarked ‘hat £705 worth of stolen goods had ■ over been found. The charges invol'ed a series of bold and successful thieving. Munro had entered business establishments at Audit find and 'Wellington and stolen goods valued at £1213. To suggest that punishment should bo light in a case like this was unthinkable. Shopkeepers had a right to expect’ the law would pro’toct their goods. There had been systematic thieving, and punish ment must bo severe.

SEXUAL OFFENDERS AUCKLAND, May 12. Kt the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Alpers sentenced Frank Potter, for carnal knowledge of a girl under 15 years, to three years ’ hard labour. The Judge said: “I hope the labour will bo hard enough and the fare simple enough to cleanse the filth that courses through your veins for honest blood, so that when you emerge from prison, you will have learned that to defile a girl of 14 is not a man’s part.

OTHER SENTENCES. AUCKLAND, May 12. At the Supreme Court, Judge Alpers sentenced Mark Rebber, for assault, to eighteen months’ imprisonment. Laurie Ormond McDermott, for theft as a servant, two years’ probation, and to return £56; John Edward Ramsay and Chan Shieu Fong, for two breaches of the Bankruptcy Act, to come up for sentence if called upon, and on a third charge, three years’ probation; Reginald Wcymiss Askew, for receiving stolen property, three months in gaol;