PRISONERS SENTENCED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18895, 18 December 1924, Page 14

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

YOUNG WOMAN'S THEFTS.

THREE YEARS' REFORMATIVE.

Three prisoners who had pleaded guilty were brought before Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court yesterday for sentence. Mr. . R. Meredith appeared for the Crown.

A young woman, Dorriss Helen Brown, on two charges of theft and a charge of forgery and uttering, was sentenced to bo detained for reformative treatment for a period not exceeding three years.

His Honor said prisoner had already been convicted twice for offences of dishonesty, and had been sentenced to two years' reformative detention in 1919. Her present offences were very deliberate and cunning thefts.

Mr. Meredith said the papers apparently showed prisoner to be a systematic, clever thief.

His Honor: She not only stole the other woman's bank pass book, but cleverly forged her signature so as to deceive the post office people.

Addressing prisoner, His Honor said ho would have to send her into seclusion for a long period. He would recommend the Prisons Board that she be detained at Point Halswell Reformatory.

YOUTH'S '• FOOLISH ESCAPADE."

Probation for three years was ordered for Ralph Ray Roberts, a youth who had pleaded guilty to a charge of arson. His Honor said it seemed that prisoner was of low mentality. It would appear the offence was in the nature of a foolish escapade. Mr. Meredith agreed that accused was not normal. His Honor said the finding of matches and inflammable rubbish had supplied too strong a temptation, and the fire had resulted. SEN FENCE DEFERRED. An aged and very deaf man, Frederick James Daniel Sams, who had pleaded guilty at Houhorn to unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl aged 14, handed in a written statement. His Honor remarked thai the girl was apparently of loose moral character. Mr. Meredith said tho report he had about prisoner was that, except for a slygrog selling conviction, he whs a hardworking man. Prisoner probably had no relations or friends, and was more or less a derelict. In reply to the Judge prisoner said he was a gumdigger. His Honor: If it is true, as said in the statement, that prisoner is 73 years old, I should think gumdigging is a very healthy occupation. He would like to know inoro about tho girl. If the statement were true, and, judging by the history of the girl it might be true, then tho circumstances under which the offenco took place were such that probably the girl was more t<> blame than prisoner. The police report about prisoner was quite satisfactory. He would let the matter stand over until Friday, further inquiries to be made in tho meantime.