HARD LABOUR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 68, 16 February 1935, Page 3

HARD LABOUR.

BLACKMAIL CASE. Per Pi •ess Association. AUCKLAND, Feb. 15Sentence of three years’ hard labou.i was passed by Mr Justice Fair to-day on Allied McDowell, a labourer, who was found guilty of blackmailing an Auckland professional man. Counsel tor prisoner said that complainant bad admitted that he had been influenced in continuing his payments to prisoner by a desire to retrieve the money previously paid. The Judge said McDowell had been found guilty on ten counts; in respect of three -ot them he was liable to hie imprisonment. Blackmail was a peculiarly vicious and cruel offence. Once the victim had made a payment and committed himself in one way he found himself exposed to a series ot threats which exposed him to torture and might ruin Ins character. It might be that a man of strong character would make a stand from the beginning, but it so happened that the vietim might not care to expose linn sell to having his character blackened however he might clear himself. .It was hard in this case to find a redeeming feature; prisoner was comparatively young and there was no evidence that ho was under pressure or in serious want, and the money he had secured he had wasted.