Prison Terms For Felonious Intend

Grey River Argus, 5 November 1949, Page 8

Prison Terms For Felonious Intend

WELLINGTON, November 4. , “Both of you have bad criminal records and appear to be incorrigible. Neither of you has made any eftbit to reform, and appju 'nliy you have no intention of doing so”, said the Chief Justice, Sir Humphrey O’Leary,* in passing sentence on two prisoners in the Supreme Court to-day. They were Clifford Fox, aged 27, a carpenter, and William John Graham Lee, aged 24, a labourer, both of whom had been found guilty by a jury last week on charges of being rogues and vagabonds, frequenting a public place 'with felonious intent. The charges, which related to the movements of the men in a car at Martinborough, were the first of their kind in New Zealand. His Honour said that responsible police officers had described Fox as one of New Zealand’s most dangerous criminals, and had said he was such a menace that warnings were sent out to a district when it was known he was on the road there. He had a variety of convictions for serious offences, and was a menace who should be detained, said His Honour. The maximum Sentence for the charges on which the prisoner had been convicted was one year’s hard labour, continued His Hoiiuui - , but under the Crimes Act, 1919, the Judge might direct that they should be detained for reformative purp a.es for a period not exceeding ten yeais. “Having regard to the conduct, character and associations of Fox, he will be sentenced to one year’s hard labour, and will be detained Thereafter for reformative purposes for four years”, said His Honour. “Lee will b e sentenced to one year’s hard labour and will be detained for reformative purposes for two years”.