PRISONERS SENTENCED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18941, 12 February 1925, Page 12

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

ANOTHER LARGE BATCH. &. ASSAULT ON TWO YEARS' HARD LABOUR. ■ Ten prisoners, all epieppt one of whom had pleaded guilty in tho j lower Court, were sentenced by Mr. Jus},ice Herdman in the Supreme Court yestr-rday. Mr. V. R. Meredith appeared for the Crown. v Evidently you are bent .oij leading a criminal career," His. said, in addressing two young men, Qoorge Wells and Harold Henry Williams, who were given two years' hard labour; for assault With intent to commit a crirfie in Auckland Wells had admitted ■ the offence, and Williams was found guilty on trial. Wells was probably the principal aggressor, said the Judge. Prisoners had gone to an old obviously with intent to steal. When tibey did not get their own way they assaulted the man, who was quite unable to -defend himself. Wells had previously been convicted on a number of occasions, but was released on a probationary license last year. He was, however, arrpsted again, and his license cancelled. In the case of Williams there were also several previous convictions for theftr. The. two years' term in the case of Wells would commence at the expiration of the sentence he was now serving. LITTLE GIRL MOLESTED. TERM OF THE IMPRISONMENT. Indecent assault on a litQjp girl was tho offence of a middle-aged man, James Cameron Reid. Mr. Blakev, in asking for probation, said prisoner had been married 24 years. His family would be a credit to any man. Tho only trouble that had affected his domestic relations had been his indulgence in drink, and that only occurred at holiday time. Then [ho would drink steadily day and night, and it took three or four days for him to recover. (#le was twice severely wounded in the war, and on one occasion his thigh was practically shattered. He was left in .the open seven days, and finally was picked up by Germans, and suffered all the privations of German prison life. His offence >vas obviously that of a man not in his normal senses. His Honor said he had to consider the welfare of the children of the community. The little girls of Auckland were entitled to use the parks. without being molested by men. Prisoner had behaved in a very disgusting way, and it was impossible to grant probation. Sexual offences were too common. The sentence would be one year's hard labour, to be followed by reformative detention for not more than three years After ho had served one year, if the Prisons Board thought fit,, it might release him. BREAKING AND ENTERING. RECENT ARRIVAL'S BAD START. Two years' imprisonment with hard labour was the sentence passed on Cecil Alexander Wright, a voung man, who had pleaded guilty at Tauranga to two charges of breaking, entering and theft. He said he was not guilty of theft, but was guilty of receiving. He had been advised to plead guilty to avoid the expenses of witnesses. His Honor said it was perfectly clear that prisoner had admitted stealing. Although not long in New Zealand, ho had been convicted of theft and also for converting a boat to his own use. CHARGE AGAINST CRIPPLE. GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. A cripple, Albert Glassey, was admitted to probation for two years on two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 16 years. Mr. A. Moody said prisoner was married. It appeared the girl looked to bo well over 16, and she had told prisoner she was 18. Counsel suggested this was a case where the girl had forced herself on the man. Prisoner's wife, who was in Court, was prepared to forgive him. His Honor said the circumstances were peculiar. It would appear from the statement of the police officer that the teal offender was the girl. It was unusual to grant probation' in such cases, but in view of prisoner's previous good character and the good police report, and also the fact that perhaps he had been tempted by the girl, he would give him another chance of behaving himself. FORG33RY AND UTTERING. MEN ALREADY IN PRISON. Four charges, involving theft, forgery, uttering and false pretences, were admitted by Harold William Blackie. The Judge said prisoner had taken his employers' . cheque book, forged a cheque and obtained the money. He had been convicted of theft on a number of occasions, and was now serving a sentence. Evidently he had been given chance after chance. He sentenced him to be detained for reformative purposes for a period not exceeding two years. A sentence of 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour, to commence at the expiration of a sentence ho is now serving, was imposed upon a yonng man, Harry Lawrenco McQuoid, who had admitted, at Dargaviilo. a charge of forgery and uttering. His Honor said prisoner had a small record of past offences, and the police report was not favourable. PROBATION TREATED AS JOKE. BURGLARY BY A MAORI. A young Maori', Friday Tenamu, who had admitted, at Whangarei, a charge of breaking, entering and tbsft, was ordered to bo detained for reformative purposes for not more than two years. His Honor said it would seem that on previous occasions prisoner had been convicted of theft, and had been given an opportunity of leading a decent life, bnt had made up his mind not to do so. The probation officer stated it was clear that prisoner looked upon probation as a joke. The Judge said he had taken into consideration prisoner's youth and the fact that he was a Maori. FALSE STATEMENTS. FINES OF £lO IMPOSED. A fine of £lO, or in default, one month's imprisonment, was imposed on Alfred John Nqrthcott {Mr. A. Moody) for making a false declaration to the registrar of births. His Honor told prisoner he had dona a vorv foolish thing, and had rendered himself liable to imprisonment, Ho allowed prisoner a week in which to pay tho fine. A similar fine was imposed upon Henry Ernest Cook ('Mr. Singer), who had admitted making a false statement to the registrar of marriages. The Judnre, on counsel's plea, allowed prisoner sis months tc» pay the fine, in default one month's imprisonment.