SUPREME COURT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 254, 17 February 1921, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

YOUTH ADMITTED TO PROBATION

James Thomas Berrett, who had been found guilty of forgery, came before HiHonour Sir John Salmond at Iho bupreme Court this morning for sentence. 111, Honour said that as this was Hie prisoner's first offence, he was prepared in consideration of that act and of his youth, to admit him to probation Prisoner had already suffered severely in losing Ins position in the civil service, and all hope of future advancement. His I 'Honour hoped the present, case would bo a lesson o huri ,-nd that he would not again find himseli in such an unenviable position. Borrett would be admitted to probation for two years with the special conditions that he paid £5 towards the costs of the prosecution that he did not, take intoxicating liquor, attend any race meeting or make" l,.'t and was to reside with his lather. His Honour stated further that prisoner was probably under the influence of liquor when he committed the offence. ASSAULT ON LITTLE GIRL. William Snow, convicted of common assault on a little girl, was sentenced to one month's hard labour. Prisoner, said his Honour had already been convicted ot theft assault, and an offence under the Military Service Act. The present offence, although merely common assault, he regarded us a serious on?. Parents had the right to expect that then children should :ro about, unattended. YOUTH'S BAD RECORD.

Win t-j'enn Grant, convicted of theft qi jcwelle'rv from a dwelling at Wnngiuiui, v:af next brought up for, Sentence. His Honour observed that prisoner, although only 22 years of ago, hud already a long list* of convictions, and hud lived a lit© of systematic crime from boyhood, l'rom IttU until this charge against him he had been convicted or many occasions. In ttin* year ho was convicted of theft on three occasions and was also convicted _o mischief In 1914 ho was again convicted of theft and sent to Weraroa, and afterwards to Btirnhnm. Apparently ho was released from tho latter institution before Ins term of reformative treatment was up. In 1816 ho was acrain convicted of theft and re turned to Buruham, and the following year of false pretences and three charges o theft. For these offences he was sentenced to three years' reformative detention but last year he was again found guilty of hi-fi and sentenced to a further 12 months detention, a sentence which he was now scrvin<r If he were not already embarrassed hv n 'lhp sontonce prisoner was already senj n „ His Honour said that ho would have sentenced him to a term of imprisonment, Ho characterised prisoner s conduct as deliberate one] systematic defiance of the law and of society. He would be sentenced to three years' reformative detention, to be served concurrently with the present, 5en- ,,,„,, An order .was made for the return of the property stolen. YOUNG MAN'S LAPSE. In asking that Alexander Alfred Burling, convicted of false pretences, bo admitted, to probation. Mr 11. R. Cooper said that priso. nor was a young man and a hard worker, lie had recently been married, and probably committed the "offence because he was hard "'lli. Honour said that ho hud obtained a report from the probation officer and that, as a result, he was prepared, on the whole, to admit him to probation. Insoner was a young man, and lie strongly .suspected that he was not the chief actor m tho ollenee. The disgraceful and shameful position 111 which ho found himself would, His Honour thought, bo a lesson to him. Ho would be admitted to probation for two years, on the conditions thai he paid £lO towards the coat of the prosecution, and that ho abstained from drink or bethng. His Honour said he took into consideration the tact that prisoner did not go into the witness box and perjure himself.