SUPREME COURT.

Northern Advocate, 10 February 1925, Page 5

SUPREME COURT.

SENTENCES PRONOUNCED. AUCKLAND, This Day. At the Supremo Court Lawrence Jones Prendergast, solicitor, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with hard labour on four charges of theft. Counsel pleaded that the lapse was due to over-indulgence in liquor. Mr. Justice Herdman said the public had trusted Prendergast to the extent of £400, and he had abused that trust by putting the money into his pocket. Edward Williams, alias Millward, for forgery and uttering, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with Tiard labour., Turi Ikaka Ngakura, for indecent assault at Eawene, was sentenced to two years' reformative treatment. Jack Ralston Wyllie, for theft from a dwelling, was admitted to probation for three years and ordered to make restitution of £66 Bs.

Frederick Alexis Wildman, aged 17-J years, for breaking and entering and theft, was sentenced to three years" reformative treatment. James F. Ritchie, a recent arrival from England, who stole £91 of his employers' money in the Thames district, was sentenced to one year's imprisonment with hard labour. William Harold Cosgrove, for breaking and entering and theft and attempt to enter a jeweller's shop, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment with hard labour.—Press Assn. VERDICT OF ACQUITTAL, AUCKLAND, This Day. At the Supreme Court' the jury returned a verdict of not*guilty" on the charge of manslaughter against r*'Wtlfred James Wheeler in connection with the death of Richard Rhodes Hartwell, aged 69 years, who was run over by a bus owned and driven by the defendant on November 17. Horace Ryan for indecent assault on a female, was sentenced to two years' reformative treatment. George William Bird for breaking and entering and theft was sent to gaol for two years, with,, hard labour. —Press Assn.

DUNEDIN SESSIONS. UNUSUALLY SEEIOUS LIST. DUNEDIN, This Day. At the - criminal sittings of the Supreme Court today Mr. Justice Sim, addressing the Grand Jury, said that on this occasion there was an unusually large volume' of crime. While there were only four cases for the Grand Jury eight persons were committed for sentence. The most serious charge was one of murder against Phillip Gordon Sutherland in connection with the death of John James Ryan. The medical evidence showed that death was caused by respiratory failure due to hemorrhage of the base of the brain, and the case for the Crown was that the injuries were caused by Melting. —Press Assn.