Four Years’ Prison For Series Of Thefts

Northern Advocate, 21 August 1945, Page 4

Four Years’ Prison For Series Of Thefts

(Special) AUCKLAND, This Day. “It is difficult to find any period in your record when, on being given your liberty, you did not abuse it by a fresh offence,” said Mr Justice Callan, in the Supreme Court yesterday, when Sam Repia, aged 27 (Mr Skelton), appeared before him for sentence. Repia had pleaded guilty to five charges of theft, two of breaking and entering and theft, and other charges of forgery, attempted uttering. receiving stolen property, and of breaking and entering by night with intent. One offence concerned the ransacking of a schoolmaster’s house at Aratapu, Northern Wairoa. In January, 1942, prisoner had been sentenced to three years’ hard labour and warned that if he came before the Court again he would be declared an habitual criminal. Again in April, 1943, for escaping from custody and committing fresh burglary and theft, he had been sentenced to an additional six months’ imprisonment. In May he had been back before the Court for escaping and another nine months had been added to his sentence. Finally, on May 5 of this year, three days after his discharge from prison, he had begun committing fresh crimes.

“This seems to me the clearest possiblie case of a man with a settled and long-continued determination to live by committing theft,’’ said his Honor. “You are young and you are a Maori, but in my considered opinion if this Court did not now declare you an habitual criminal it would, in effect, be refusing to exercise its jurisdiction. You will be so declared and it lies with you to satisfy the Prisons Board when it is safe to loose you in society." Sentences of four years, three years and two years’ hard labour with imprisonment, to be served _ concurrently, were imposed on Repia.