FOUND GUILTY ON SERIOUS CHARGE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 May 1939, Page 5

FOUND GUILTY ON SERIOUS CHARGE.

DRAPER AWAITS SENTENCE (By Telegraph —Press Association). WELLINGTON, Last Night. Returning this afternoon after an absence of two hours and a-half, a jury in the Supreme Court found Percy Reginald Speers, draper, aged 42, guilty of unlawfully using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage. He was acquitted on three other counts. The jury added a rider that che principal witness for the Crown was a consenting party in all the transactions. The prisoner was remanded until 10 a.m. tomorrow for sentence by Mr. Justice Smith. The principal witness for the Crown was a widow with several children.

The prisoner was charged on four counts: (1) With unlawfully using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage. (2) With inciting a woman to permit an instrument to be used upon her with intent to procure a miscarriage. (3) With supplying a noxious drug with intent to bring about a miscarriage. (4) With attempting to supply a noxious drug with intent to t procure a miscarriage.

SENTENCE DEFERRED.

OPINION OP APPEAL COURT TO BE SOUGHT.

WELLINGTON, This Day,

Speers, who was found guilty yesterday of illegally using an instrument with intent to procure a miscarriage, appeared before Judge Smith to-day for sentence. Counsel, however, asked for a point of law arising from the Judge's direction to the jury to be reserved and Judge Smith decided that a case should be stated for the opinion of the Court of Appeal which will sit again next month and he deferred sentence until the judjgment of that Court.

Prisoner was remanded till to-morrow when it will be decided whether or not he <shall be released on bail.