DEVONPORT BURGLAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18551, 8 November 1923, Page 11

DEVONPORT BURGLAR.

SENTENCE ON A. HIND&.

18 MONTHS' HARD LABOUB.

"A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL."

■' It seems to me from the report received from the police that? you have made up your mind to be a dangerous criminal," said Mr. Justice Herdmah in the Supreme Court yesterday when dealing with Alfred Arthur Hinds, aged 44, who appeared for sentence on eight charges of breaking and entering and the" and one of theft, to all of which ho had pleaded guilty in the Police Court. Hinds, who is also known as " Soldier Thompson," as a professional wrestlar, was found by Constable Nehoff in the Auckland Meat Company's sib op in Vauxhall Road, Devonport, in the early hours of Saturday morning, September 29, and was arrested after an exciting chase ana a desperate twenty-minuted' struggle in the dark. During the pursuit tba constable fired two shots from his revolver. The period covered by the offences, which were committed chiefly at Devonport, extended from December, 1922, to September last. Various houses and shops were entered, and a .miscellaneous collection of property, valued at about £128 taken. Mr. Leary, for the prisoner! said he could rot suggest probation, but though the list of charges was a formidable one, all the offences were of recent dafe and though Hinds was now serving a tern of three months' imprisonment for being linlawfuliy in possession of explosives, he had not previously been before the Court. Formerly ho was a man of industrious habits and of excellent character. Then he fell into evil companionship. Has position was an illustration of the fact that it was only the first step in crime that was difficult. Hinds bad assisted the police on more than one occasion. Counsel submitted that prisoner might be encouraged to reform by being shown leniency in the sentence. His Honor said ho would give Hinds the credit of the statements by counsel, but it seemed that being an electrician and a mechanic ho made ujj his mind to be an expert housebreaker. A set of housebreaking tools was found in his possession. It was hard to understand why a map. of his qualifications should take up a career of crime. He might have helped the police in the past, but it was jast as well that the arresting constable was something or a wrestler or more serious consequences might have foil awed. A sentence of 18 months' hard labour was imposed, to commence on the expiration of the sentence prisoner is at. present serving. _"