CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17033, 14 December 1918, Page 10

CRIMINAL SESSIONS.

THE CITY BURGLARIES. ADMISSIONS OF GUILT. The criminal sessions of the Auckland Supreme Court were continued yesterday, both Judges, Mr. Justice Cooper and Mr..Justice Stringer, hearing cases. I Several Charges of receiving stolen property preferred against the three brothers, Patrick Gunn, Alexander It. Gunn and Thomas W. Gunn, wero called. As tho jury was being empanelled, Mr. Hackett, who appeared for Alexander and Thomas Gunn, stated that he had advised ail the accused to plead guilty. Mr. Selwyn Mays accepted tlio pleas. The charges were: Alexander and Thomas Gunn, receiving coin, postal notes and stamps taken from the New Lynn post office; five and a-hall pairs of boots stolen from tho factory of Adam Moore, Ltd.; Patrick and Alexander Gunn, receiving one and a-half pairs of boots stolen from the New Zealand Boot Factory. Patrick Gunn had already pleaded guilty to receiving property stolen from the New Lynn post office. Mr. Justice Stringer remarked that other minor charges preferred against the . accused Patrick Gunn in connection with tho recent burglaries at Barton's Boot Factory, and i over which ono jury had disagreed, might , now be withdrawn, and on hie suggestion ' it was decided to refer tho matter to-the Solicitor-General. As a number of other oases against the three acetified had been heard by Mr. Justice- Cooper, sentence was deferred until Monday. ILLEGAL USE OF DRUG. ' CRIPPLE ESCAPES PRISON. Charles R. Christey (Mr. Singer), who was convicted on Thursday of causing to ibo taken a noxious drug with intent to ! procuro a miscarriage, came up for sentence' before Mr. Justice Stringer. Counsel mado an appeal for leniency, remarking upon Christey's crippled condition. He contended that there was nothing to show that this was anything but a friendly act on the part of accused or that he had made a practice of tho offence. I The Judgo said ho was glad to find that a jury had had sufficient moral courage I to find a verdict in accordance with the {facta. He said he had foui.d a tendency among jurors to look upon the procuring I of abortion as a more or leas legitimate 'employment. This, he thought, was a doplorable state of affairs. He remarked that this was almost the first time in his ; experience of such cases that a conviction had been recorded. It-was unfortunate that Christey was a cripple, as this was 1 going to afford him protection. It would be no very great punishment to send him to gaol, as ho could do no work and would be of extreme inconvenience to the gaol I officials. The Judge said he strongly, suspected from the nature of the evidence that this was not the only case of tho i kind in which Christey had been concerned. Prisoner richly deserved punishment, and this would have been administered but for his physical disability. He was ordered to come up, for sentence when called upon, the Judge warning him that if he again got into trouble he would be dealt with —irrespective of what inconvenience he might cause to the gaol officials. 50 CRIMINAL CASES TO-DAY. There are no criminal cases set down for to-day. The sittings will resume at i 10.30. a.m. on Monday.