SUPREME COURT.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1742, 18 February 1921, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

PRISONERS SENTENCED. The Palmerston North Supremo Court was continued yesteulay before His Honour, Sir John Salmond. YOUTH'S LAPSE. .Tamos Thomas Berrett, a youth, who pleaded guilty to a charge of forgery, was brought up for sentence. The judge said that in consideration of accused's youth and previous good character he was prepared to admit him to probation. Accused had already suffered severely, having lost a good position in the Civil Service. He was admitted to probation for a term of two years and to pay the costs ot the prosecution £5. Special conditions were also made that Berrrclt was to proceed at once to his lathers house, not to take intoxicating liquor and not to attend any race meeting or make bets. ONE MONTH FOR ASSAULT. William Snow, who had been found guilty of common assault and actuated on a charge of indecent assault, was sentenced to one mouths imprisonment With hard labour. Accused, said His Honour, had been convicted before of assault, theft, and violation of the Military Service Act. Such an offence as the one he was charged with was serious. Accused had deliberately and unjusuiiao.y interfered with a little girl at the i:.splanaxlo and although he had not indecently assaulted her sucn an act to his led to more serious or grossly indecent acts. , CAREER OF CRIME. William Henry Grant who was found guilty of theft, his already lengthy list read over. Although only 22 years of age, accused, said His Honour, had led a career «L automatic crime since he was a boy. Accused was at present serving a term of reformative treatment. His Honour convicted'and sentenced him .to a further term of reformative detention for 3 years, sentence to be «oncurrent with the present one. ADMITTED TO PRORATION. Alexander Alfred Jesse Burling found guilty of forgery, was the, next prisoner sentenced. Mr Coopei pleaded on his behalf, saying that this was accused's first lapse. He asked that he be admitted to probation His Honour admitted him to probation for two years, .expressing the opinion that he was not the cluet actor in the offence. Accused was ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution, £lO, and to abide by other stipulations a* regards drinking and betting. IN DIVORCE.

Emily Alice Curtis (Mr Cooper) asked for a dissolution of her marriage with Satherley James Curtis on the grounds of desertion. Mr Cooper said that respondent had left petitioner in 1908 and she ht<d never heard from his since. In 1914 petitioner's mother saw him in uniform "just before the Main Body sailed. All enquiries through Base Records and other sources'had utterly failed to throw any light on his whereabouts. Evidence was given along these lines. The case was allowed to stand over until this morning'so that an affadayit of service of papers on respondents father could be produced. IN BANCO. Sitting in Banco yesterday, His Honour Sir Justice Salmond heard a motion by Mrs E. M. Crewe, Pahiatua (Mr Bundle) to set aside a previous Supreme Court judgment in connection with the case in which plaintiff proceeded against J. D. C. Crewe and H. Smith, Pahiatua (Mr H. R. Cooper) on certain claims regarding the estate of the late David Crewe. Afte*r hearing considerable legal argument the Judge reserved his decision.