“Friend Of Court” Defends Dargaville Prisoner

Northern Advocate, 23 March 1939, Page 2

“Friend Of Court” Defends Dargaville Prisoner

[Special to ‘‘Northern Advocate ”]

AUCKLAND, This Day

When Frank Davidson Thompson, aged 20. came before Mr Justice Callan in the Supreme Court this morning for sentence on charges of arson and attempted arson at Dargaville, he was not represented by counsel.

His Honour commented on this, and Mr Vialoux, who happened to bo present, undertook, as a friend of the court, to look through the papers, and present to the court any plea for mitigation the prisoner might desire to put forward.

An adjournment .for this purpose was made till tins afternoon, when Mr Vialoux said the prisoner was the youngest of a family of six children, whose parents were in poor circumstances. The mother was a half-caste Maori.

Because the prisoner was something of a simpleton, he was accused of certain thefts, and he blamed these accusations on a farmer in the neighbourhood.

In order to give the farmer a fright, lie got some hay. soaked it in water, and. after having laid it beside the house, sol it afire. He said that he soaked the hay in water to make it

smoke and attract attention, thus frightening the? inmates, but lie bad no intention of setting the house afire.