Northland Maoris Before Supreme Court

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1939, Page 11

Northland Maoris Before Supreme Court

fSpecial to “Northern Advocate ”l AUCKLAND, This Day.

“'He is a Maori of slow intellect, who married quite young and had a family of 16 children, nine of whom are still alive, ’ stated Mr Blomfield in appearing for Stan Pickering in the Supreme Court this morning. Pickering had been remanded from Kaikoho on two admitted charges of attempted incest. 1 Mr Blomfield added that the man I was in poor circumstances, but hard j working. In August last his wife had I to be removed to a mental hospital. Owing to their poor circumstances, ; all the family had to occupy a shanty ] of one room, sleeping, three in a bed, | though the sleepers had their blankets rolled round them separately. i

It seemed that there had been no previous offence of the kind by Pickering, and these two were on successive days, and not carried out fully.

A Pitiful v Case.

Commenting that the case was a pitiful one, and considering the contributory circumstances favourable to the prisoner, which counsel had mentioned, His Honour sentenced the man to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Probation Granted. Harry Mahanga, a Maori remanded

from Whangarei on an admitted charge of unlawful carnal knowledge, was admitted to probation for two years with conditions that the cost of the prosecution be paid by instalments, and that the prisoner should live or work at a distance, from the girl concerned, A Deal to be Said, for Accused. “A very exceptional case, in which there is a deal to be said for her, and it is a clear case for probation,” said the Judge in respect to Doris Yelas, a girl of 19 years, who had admitted forgery and uttering at Kaikche. His Honour said the probation officer’s report recommended probation, and that an Awanui woman, who was of evidently good character, had offered to take charge of the girl and employ her.

That course would be followed, and the girl would be admitted to probation for two years on condition that she should obey the probation officer’s direction in the matter of employment and make restitution of £4 16/6 by instalments. -