Resident Magistrate's Court.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 121, 13 June 1868, Page 5

Resident Magistrate's Court.

BLENHEIM —Monday, June 8, 1868. [Before R. L. Muller, Esq., R.M.] THEFT FROM A WHARE. Robert Townsend was charged with stealing certain articles, the property of John Burroughs, from a whare in the AwaThe prisoner pleaded guilty. In reply*to the bench, Senior-Sergeant Emerson stated that nothing whatever was known about the prisoner previously, Mr. Nelson, for the prosecutor, stated the case. John Burroughs was a shepherd at Mr. McEae’s station ; that he left his whare on the 31st May last, and on the following day he received information that it had been broken into. On examination he found goods, comprising blankets, shirts, &c., missing to the value of £3, 2s. Mr. McEae was anxious that punishment should be awarded to mark the sense of the bench on such cases, as these wdiares were open to suspicious people, and ii was so difficult to detect parties pilfering from them. The prisoner said he had been down on the -West Coast lately. He had no intention of stealing the things when he went to the whare, but he; had lost his own swag in crossing the rivers and flood, and after staying at the whare all night, in the morning the temptation was too strong for him. He had never been in a* police court before. The Bench hoped the prisoner was not old in guilt; • He had yielded to temptation this time, but it was to be trusted that he would be able to withstand it in future. In the circumstances he would pass a much lighter sentence than he would otherwise have done. He would adjudge him to receive three months imprisonment with hard labor. T ' - ' • • ' In reply to an application by Mr. Nelson the Bench was not aware that witnesses were entitled to expenses under thg lfew Act. The special constable who assisted in

taking prisoner, would have to apply to the Provincial Government for'payrnent. Some small debt cases, devoid of public interest, concluded the sitting. H. -GODFREY V. F. ADAMS. Judgment for plaintilf with costs. G. JAMES V. J. JEFFRIES. Owing to a mistake in the summons, (the amount sued for being put at £B, instead of £lO 135.,) the case was withdrawn. J. GORRIE V. P. o’DWYER. Judgment for plaintiff with costs.