PRISONERS SENTENCED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16595, 19 July 1917, Page 7

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

THEFT AND FORGERY CASES,

Several prisoners, who had pleaded guilty in the lower Courts, came up for sentence yesterday at the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Cooper. The Hon. J. A. Tole appeared for the Crown. James Gray Keane (Mr. Alan Moody) appeared on a charge of theft at Auckland. Mr. Moody stated that prisoner's fall had been caused by over-indulgence in drink. His Honor ordered prisoner to be detained for reformatory treatment for a period not exceeding two years, and remarked that as prisoner had a long list of previous convictions recorded against him if he did not turn over a new leaf he would probably be declared a habitual criminal. Robert L. Bennett (Mr. Alan Moody) appeared on two charges of forgery, committed at Auckland. Mr. Jeffreys, probation officer, said drink was the cause of prisoner's offence. He had been employed on a number of ships, and in each case had a clean discharge. His Honor said lie would admit prisoner to probation for three years on the first charge on condition that he took out prohibition orders against himself for that period, and that he did not attend race meetings, billiard saloons, or indulge in betting, the money taken to be repaid. Prisoner was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon on the second charge. William E. Jasper, on a charge of theft from the person at Auckland, handed in a statement to the effect that he had not been convicted before. On the Judge remarking, however, that he had a record before him, in which it was alleged that the prisoner was the same, person as Wilford Jasper, convicted at Dunedin for embezzling ship's stores, the prisoner admitted this was so. « _ A sentence of 12 months' imprisonment was imposed.