PLEA BY COUNSEL

Grey River Argus, 27 May 1938, Page 11

PLEA BY COUNSEL

Returned Soldier’s Case , CHIEF JUSTICE QUOTED. AUCKLAND. May 23. Remarks made recently by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, regarding the treatment of returned soldiers who I ad suffered injury while on active service were quoted by Mr Noble in the Police Court yesterday, in support of a plea for leniency for Samuel Bibby, who was charged with obtaining money from the Labour Department by a false pretence. Mr Noble said accused had paid a fine of £2O imposed recently on a charge of making a false statement, the sentence on the present charge having been adjourned. While accused was at the war, he received a shrapnel wound in the leg, and the shrapnel had been removed only recently. He submitted that the injury had affected accused to such an extent that he suffered loss of memory and on one occasion found himself in Wellington. Counsel said he had been present in Wellington when Sir Michael Myers had a prisoner before him for sentence, who was a returned soldier with a good war record The Chief Justice had stated that he hoped the time never would be past when the service given to the country in hours of peril would be forgotten. n the opinion of the Chief Justice the offence was due to injuries suffered when giving active service. Mr Noble, in pleading for leniency, said he hoped it would not be necessary to send accused to prison.

Mr W. A. Black, who appeared for the Labour Department, said all the false declarations made by accused were in respect of his wife’s earnings. The Magistrate, Mr C. R, Orr Walker, convicted accused and ordered him to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months. He remarked that each ease must he dealt with on its merits.