ONE OF THE WORST.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 6 September 1923, Page 7

ONE OF THE WORST.

JUDGE'S REMARKS ON SENTENCING A CRIMINAL.

(BY TELEGRAPH PKKSS - A BSOPIATION ) CHRISTCHURCH, Sep. 6. At the Supreme Court, John Griffiths was sentenced to six years' hard labour for attempted rape on a girl at Burwood and three years' hard labour on each of three charges of breaking and entering, and two years on each of three charges of theft, the sentences to be concurrent. Mr. Justice Reed, in passing sentence, declared Griffiths an habitual criminal. "As an habitual criminal," the judge said, "you will be kept in prison at the discretion of the Prisons Board. It means life if ihe board, as I imagine it will, consider that a criminal like you should not be at liberty. You are* one of the most dangerous criminals I have had to deal With."

Mr. Donnelly, Crown Prosecutor, said that a cablegram had been received that Griffiths was wanted in New South Wales for chloroforming a girl in her sleep.

Evidence was given that Griffiths was born in Christchurch, and sent to the Burnham Industrial School in 1901. Subsequently he had a long list of convictions in New Zealand and Australia, including burglary, indecent assault, and illegally on premises. The judge dwelt on the grossness of the Burwood crime, and said that he would have ordered a flogging if he had not declared Griffiths an. habitual criminal. ' ■■ " , *