COURTS AND OFFENCES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 7 May 1927, Page 6

COURTS AND OFFENCES.

SENTENCES AT TIM ABC

(by telegraph—press association.) TIMARU, May 0.

At the Supreme Court Mr. Justice Adams passed the following sentences: Michael Parker Bracefield, for criminal assault, ten years ’ hard labour. The judge said that had the accused not pleaded guilty, he would have ordered a flogging. Walter Raymond Hamlyn, for indecent assault, nine months’ hard labour Leslie Prances O’Donnell, for indecent assault, five years’ hard labour. Wilson Bailey Burns, on five charges of burglary, three years’ hard labour, John Henry Avery, for forgery and uttering, one years’ hard labour.

ACCUSED CREATES SCENE IN

COURT,

AUCKLAND, May 0

A scene was created in the Supreme Court to-day by William Murray Aitken, who was charged with using obscene language. When the case was brought in the lower court he had taken advantage of the right to be ti'ied by jury instead of by the magistrate. Mr. Justice ITerdman said: “It is high time the legislature determined that such cases as this should be heard by a magistrate and that the time of this court and jury should ''not. be occupied with cases that <; are really trifling. ’ ’ The accused made a rambling statement ox ten ding over two hours, and paid little attention when the judge pulled him up for talking about irrelevant matters. His Honour threatened once to have the accused removed and to continue the case in his absence. Eventually the accused became violent in the dock and was removed by force. Loud shouts and screams were afterwards heard. The jury, without leaving the box, found the .accused guilty, the foreman stating that there appeared to be something wrong with him although the doctors had not found him insane. “It may interest you to know that this man has a list *of II convictions against hint, including three of obscene language,” said His Honour. There was a further scene when Aitken was brought back and informed of the verdict. Sentence was postponed until Monday.

CASES AT TIMARU

TIM A JUT, May 6. At the Supreme Court, Mrs. Cirosson, wife of Thos. Crosson, a farmer of Geraldine, was charged with a breach of tlm Chattels Transfer Act in that she . disposed of two lots of wool and two lots of sheep which were subject toa bill of sale held by the N.M. and A. Company. She was found guilty and admitted to two years’ probation and ordered to pay costs £4B. At the Supreme Court the whole day was occupied by the hearing of a case of ,alleged slander, Mrs. E. B. Drinin. wife of a St, Andrew’s farmer, claiming £IOOO damages from William Campbell, a farmer of the same district. . The verdict was given, for the plaintiff for £IOO. Defendant’s counsel intimated his intention to apply for a retrial on the ground that the verdict was against the weight of evidence.

ACQUITTED OF BOOKMAKING CHARGE.

AUCKLAND, May 6. The trial of Thomas Jackson, an elderly man, on a. charge of bookmaking at the Waikato Trotting Club’s meeting at Epsom in March, took place at the Supreme .Court to-day. The police evidence was to the effect that accused was approached by several men, who gave him money, whereupon the accused made entries on the inside of a cigarette packet. One constable gave him live shillings for a house which lost, and later made a bet with marked coins, which were found in the sum of £34 10s which accused had ill his possession when arrested. Council for the accused contended that the evidence was flimsy and insufficient to justify a conviction. The jury returned a verdict of ’not guilty.