COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 15 February 1934, Page 6

COURT NEWS

FAKER OF EVIDENCE Four Years for Batchelor (Per Press Association.) CHRtsTCH URCIi, February 11. I i the Supreme Court John Blue:; la. > h-.-iur. .solicitor's agent, and form■rly a solicJo'.', was sentenced u foul rears’ hard labour on charges of perjury, fabrication of evidence. and 1 . akiug a false statement. Un charge* of attempt n.g lo pv \ ert the course of just k-c, and a. .■•inpting lo induce aiMlhcr pcis-m not lo give evidence accused was sentenced to two years’ hard laboii;he sentences to be concurrent. Accused addressed the Judge uu-l ,;.-ked h m to extend such leniency a was possible. In reply io the Judge. Batchelor idmitt-d that he hud a previous conviction for theft, for which he served two year*’ reformative detention. Addressing the prisoner, His Honour sad: “Naturally, I have paid great a'ltention to the case against vou. Ln niv opinion, the jury could co..He to no other verdict. Ihe crime.which, vou have committed arc >eriou* in the extreme. There is mJ doubt in my mind, that you knew exactly what you were doing in this instance. It is not as though one ;alse step Led to confusion, and a desperat t . falling buck on further •wrong-doing. Between each crime there was a long period for thought „nd deliberation, and in each period you sev.m to have coldly and delibciately planned the ne<t move. Iheiu was a cold and callous intent and purpose io commit crime You did nut hesitate to stoop to any .means lo indue,. others to commit perjury, or by means of threats, to make a weak woman under the age of 20 years commit perjury. You were callously indifferent as to wheth<*i - othei> even your wife, were implicated not. Consideration and mercy for otlur.s are non-existent, so far as you ai’y concerned.’ ’ SEXUAL OFFENDERS. CISRISTCH I’RCH February 14. The following pnisoners were sentenced by Mr Justice Johnston: — .Alfred. Wiliam Mansfield. supplying means of procuring abortion, pro batii.n for twelve months. William Eldred, indecent a - null, George F.aiik Toon. ind«-i-<-iil n - sanll uh a girl, eighteen month.-' har-i Frederick Willia/n Whittington carnal knowledge, three years’ hard labour.

Herbert William Nickalls, incest, three years’ hard labour. Charles Edward Clark, bigamy, ordered to come up for sentence it nulled upon within three months. WIFE ASSAUI T ED. WELLINGTON, February 14. George Victor Reed, 39. pleaded guilty to asaulting his wife, Anna'mihi Reed. Lt was stated that when drunk. Ip. hit her on the head with a bottle ami she was a week in the hospital. For. the defence, it was stated that war injuries necessitated ‘•he insertion of a silver plate in Reed’s skull, and he had not been normal since, and was practieallv irresponsible when he had a few drinks. The Magistrate *aifl it might be that th,. assault was in some way attributable l<> war injuries. It had been established that he was drunk al thp time, but tire Magistral* could not look leniently on an assault of lhi> kind, with the weapon he used. Accused, whom it was admitted had twice been previously convicted for the same class of offence, got two .months' hard labour. MATRIMONIAL AGENCY DISPUTE. WELLINGTON. February 13. Before Air Page, S.M., Olive ElJ.m Sole, late of Auckland, claimed fu: recovery of £5O paid Dorothy Bake.’, of Auckland, for a partnership in a matrimonial agency, on the ground it was paid under false represent;! lion. She claimed £25 damages. Plaintiff said defendant had a business at Auckland, and a Correspondence Club at Wellington. Witness agreed to take over management of the Wellington business for £5O, and half profits. but when she reached Wellington she found the takings less than stated. The premises were a poor room, and the manageress already there was unwilling to help her as planned. For the defence it wa> contended that the takings nient oned referred to the Auckland business. Hie Court awarded plaintiff £5O plu£lo damages and costs. The Magis irate added defendant was unaware at the tijme of the agreement that her employee jn Wellington ha-i started an opposition bus'ness. SERIOUS DEFALCATIONS ALLEGED. CHRISTCHURCH, February 14. “Up to the present, so far as the auditors have gone, the defalcations amount to about £5OO. but it may be nio're, ” said Chief-Inspector Dunlop, when Leslie Cecil Johnson, described as a farmer, 53, was charged with making a false document by’ altering a genuine receipt in some material par; with the intention that it should, bp acted upon as genuine, thereby ; committing forgery. Chief-Inspector Dunlop said that accused had been employed by’ the Gold Band Taxis, and it was money belonging to that fhyn that was concerned. Accused was remanded, bail being allowed. THEFT SENTENCES. fPer Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH February 14. At the Supreme Court Mr Justice Johnston sentenced the following:— Walter Rex Orchard, housebreaking and theft, twelve months’ reformative detention. Sydney George Smith, housebreak-

ing and theft, reformative detention not exceeding two years Lawrence Francis Lagan, theft of tobacco, probation for twelve monthsWilliam Gray, assault, causing actual bodily hGrm. reformative detention for two years. WELLINGTON. February 14. Edward Grey Dickson, -aged 24, six charges of forging and uttering cheques at Blenheim, appeared befo r th? Chief Justice to-day. .Fie was placed on three years’ probation, and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution. £2 9s, within three months. and repay £-39 Iss to the persons defrauded in twenty monthly instalment s e