AUCKLAND SUPREME COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 7

AUCKLAND SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS. "SERIES OF DELIBERATE THEFTS." At the Supreme Court yesterday, before His Honor Mr. Justice Edwards, Ermond William Lewis Ward, ; convicted on several charges of false pretences and theft the previous day, came up for sentence. ( In sentencing the prisoner to two years imprisonment with hard labour His Honor said: You have been convicted of a series of deliberate thefts, and evidently you made up your mind to attempt this means of earning a livelihood. You ask me to set you free in'order that you may marry, but that is certainly the last thing you ought to do. I cannot treat this as a first offence. I do not know if anything is known about your ,past, but this does not appear to be a sudden outbreak. You will be convicted on the four indictments, and if you come before mo again you will certainly be treated as an habitual criminal. The prisoner was then sentenced to two years' imprisonment on each of four charges, the sentences to be concurrent. ASSAULT ON YOUNG GIRLS. Three boys named James Patterson, Alfred Irwin, and James Nowald were charged with indecently assaulting three girls aged from 10 to 14 year*. Mr. J. R. Lunclon appeared for the accused, who pleaded not guilty, the Crown Prosecutor (the Hon. J. A. Tolo, K.C.) conducting the prosecution. The ease for the prosecution lasted most of the day, eight witnesses being called, including the subjects of the alleged outrage. The girls in company were, it was stated, proceeding down a street in Ponsonby and passed the boys at a corner. After doing some shopping they returned, and when near Franklin Road were accosted by the three accused. The girls commenced to run, but were headed. off by the boys, who, it was alleged, used indecent expressions. It was on, (his occasion that the offences were stated to have been committed. The girls commenced to scream and the boys made oif. In opening his case Mr. Lundon pointed out that the accused were in-rested for common assault, showing that the affair was not considered very serious in the first place. A number of witnesses were called, including the accused, who denied that anything in the nature of indecency or assault was intended, and stated that what had happened was simply an accident. In summing tip. His Honor pointed out several discrepancies in the testimony tendered for the defence, and said he considered the evidence of the three girls was clearly strengthened by the account given by two of the accused. His Honor also referred to the admission of the accused Nowald that he kept at a distance while the alleged assault was proceeding, because Tie thought "something wrong was going to happen." The jury retired to consider its verdict. at 10.26 p.m. ..''.;. The jury returned at 11.15 with a verdict of not guilty against Nowald, who was discharged. Patterson and Irwin, on the other hand, were found guilty of common assault, and were admitted to 12 months' probation on the payment of £5 each, in contributions of 10s a month, towards the cost of _the prosecution. Tho Court adjourned until 10 o'clock this morning.