SUPREME COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1938, Page 6

SUPREME COURT

PRISONERS SENTENCED. <Pe/ Press Association —Copyright). WELLINGTON May 2. Prisoners were sentenced at tlie Supreme Court as follows: George Lassells - : Amies, 17, three charges of breaking, entering, and theft, to two years’ borstal. Leslie George Jacobs, 33, obscene exposure, three charges, six months’ gaol on each charge; to be concurrent with a longer term - he is "at present serv- l ing. ' " SENTENCES REDUCED. WELLINGTON May 2. The sentence 011 Thaddeus Edward Doody, by Mr Justice Callan at Auckland oh .February 1, to eighteen months’ hard labour on each of two charges of theft, to. be served cumulatively, lias been varied by the Court of Appeal to twelve months’ hard labour on each charge, also to be served cumulatively. Edward James Young was sentenced to three years’ hard labour by Mr Justice Fair, at Auckland on February 3, after prisoner had pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful cgrnal knowledge of a girl under 16. This sentence lias been varied by the Court of Appeal to 12 months’ hard labour. THREATENING LETTER. PALMERSTON N., May 2. At the Supreme Court, Arthur Ernest Smith, aged 60, carpenter, of Foxton, who admitted sending a letter containing a threat to do bodily harm to William Trueman, Town Clerk, of Foxton, appeared before. Air JustTcp Blair for sentence. His Honour said lie did not want to interfere with Smith’s chances of getting a pensjon by entering a conviction, and did not want to admit him to probation because it would cost him something, so lie proposed merely to order him to come up for sentence within 12 months if called on.

Counsel intimated that trouble between Smith and the Foxton Borough' Council had culminated in the sending of tlie offending letter. SITTING AT TIMARU. TIMARU, May 3. The Supreme Court opened before Mr Justice Northcroft. His Honour said fortunately there wag only - one caso for consideration by the Grand Jury, a charge J of negligent driving, causing the death of two persons at Pleasant Point. His Honour reviewed the circumstances of the case, and the jury returned a true bill. '■* ■ < AUCKLAND SITTING. AUCKLAND, May 3. “There is one satisfactory lea cure about the calendar,” said Mr Justice Fair in his charge to the Grand Jury to-day, when opening the. Supreme Court criminal session: “That feature is that apart from a charge of murder there are only two charges which involve violence, and one of these apparently arose out of a party at which there wag a good deal of drinking. The calendar apart from the charge of murder was very much of the usual type.”

The jury found true bills ‘‘ against Henry Ernest Whitcobe, for allegecj carnal knowledge; Gerald Joyce Bohe« Knox, alleged theft; Alfred George Clegg, alleged assault with intent; Charles Johnson, alleged indecent, assault; William Keogan and Ernest George Caifery, alleged assault and, caulsfcng actual bodily harni and George Herbert Forde, alleged indecent assault.

INTOXICATED DRIVER FINED

AUCKLAND, May 3.

“Theie will be a rude awakening for some of these people. One wfll have to take up this attitude that in future,except where there are special circumstances, and I emphasise in very special circumstances, imprisonment will have to follow.”

This statement was made by Mr Orr Walker S.M.; in the Police Court when fining Thomas Price, 39, a concrete worker, £3STf or being intoxicated whilst in charge of a motor-car on the Frankton Road on Saturday. Price’c driving license was cancelled for two years.