SERIES OF CHARGES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 176, 25 June 1938, Page 7

SERIES OF CHARGES

REMARKABLE CASE. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 24. There were in all 50 charges against Francis Henry Gordon Guilford, who appeared for. sentence before Mr Justice Northcroft, in the Supreme Court this morning. He pleaded guilty to 39 charges of breaking and entering and theft,- and eight charges of breaking and entering with intent to coma crime, two charges of escaping from custody and one charge of theft. “Only 46 years of age, 'prisoner has spent 28 years behind prison walls,” said Mr J. K. Moloney. He added that at the, age of 15, for petty thefts of some lollies and pencils, he was sentenced to six strokes of the birch and six years’ reformative detention at Burnham, where a flogging and harsh treatment were at that time the rule for juvenile delinquents. Since the age of 15. Mr Moloney added, Guilford had spent only two Christmases out of prison. Mr Justice Northcroft pointed out that Guilford had already been declared an habitual criminal. Released on license, he had within a few weeks

embarked again on a, course of housebreaking and theft, which had brought him again before the Court. He was sent to prison; escaping, he had continued to lead a life of theft. He sentenced Guilford in all to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour. On each of two charges 1 of escaping he sentenced him to one year’s imprisonment with hard labour to be served concurrently but separately from the sentence for escaping.