TRUST ABUSED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18334, 26 February 1923, Page 9

TRUST ABUSED.

ATTEMPT TO OREAK GAOL. ■■•"•■ ; '-:<ti •':'■'. .•

DESIROUS OF ; PUBLICITY.

PROTESTATION OF INNOCENCE.

An -unusual plea was made by a prtsoner who was charged on Saturday with attempting to escape from Mount Eden gaol. The accused, David Sonter, aged 53, was sentenced on May 16 to 10 years' hard labour, in respect of four charges of rape at Reotahi, near Whangarei. His attempt to escape from prison occurred last Monday. The charge was heard before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., at the gaol. The evidence of the gaol authorities showed that the prisoner was employed at fencing and truck mending on account of his usefulness, and came to be regarded as a trusted man. On Monday he was working in the horse paddock, but, when a visit was , paid by the deputy-supernten-dent, the prisoner , was nowhere to be seen. An alarm was given, and the man was found hiding near by in a clump of bushes. He was carrying a hatchet and a small jimmy-bar, and had saturated his prison trousers and hat in oil to disguise their prison origin. When asked what he had to say to the change,' prisoner said he attempted to escape "for only a little while." He added, " I wanted to be out temporarily — for a purpose." ■ "It is not often that one hears a prisoner say that he wanted to be away from custody only temporarily," the magistrate (remarked.

"My intentions were to get some publicity," replied the prisoner in a further statement. He declared that he was innocent of the crime attributed to him, and that he was found guilty be> cause of a Judge's misdirection to the jury. Since being in gaol he had pi-oof that this was so. " 1 wanted to get away and make an attempt at burglary in a house," continued the prisoner, " That is why I took the jimmy-bar and hatchet. I thought I could have myself arrested by a constable and obtain a. hearing in Court, thus letting the publje know about my case. I want to get justice."

The magistrate remarked that he believed prisoner would have stayed out if he succeeded in eluding "pursuit. Prisoner: How could I—a man cf my age. I would not have known what to do.

The magistrate said the prisoner had been trusted to some extent and had betrayed that trust. He would bo sentenced to 14 days on bread and water.