PRISONERS SENTENCED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19163, 31 October 1925, Page 18

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

FIVE ■ YEARS' FOR BURGLARY. MEN DECLARED HABITUALS. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST POLICE. "NOT THE SLIGHTEST GROUND." A sentence of five years imprisonment was yesterday imposed by Mr. Justice Herdman on Ernest John Brasting, James Harold O'Brien and Gi.istav Henry Hansen for committing a series of burglaries in the city and suburbs last August. They were also declared habitual criminals. Brasting said that if lie was given a chance he would never commit a criminal offence again. He had been unfortunate, and had wasted over five years of his life in gaoL He intended to leave the country as soon as his sentence was served. Hansen said he gave the police- every assistance in clearing up the matter. O'Brien said his war, record was known, and also bis subsequent record. That was all he had to say. His Honor said it was a pity to see three young men situated as the prisoners were. At least one if not two of them would have succeeded well in lawful callings. They had apparently preferred to adopt a life of crime. They had repeatedly been given chances to go straight. Allegations had been made by Brasting and O'Brien that they had received improper treatment from the police. " I wish to say," His Honor stated, "that there is not the slightest ground for any suggestion of impropriety on the part of th'i! police. Eor the promptitude and ability with which the police acted in this case they deserve the thanks of the community."

O'Brien and Brasting gave notice of their intention to appeal against the sentence.

John Matthew Buckley, who had pleaded guilty to complicity in a number of burglaries committed by Brasting, O'Brien ana Hansen.., was sentenced to 4 yearsi' imprisonment with hard labour and was declared an habitual criminal.

BURGLARY AT VICARAGE. The offenc® of Vincent Joseph McGlone, aged 23, and William Howell, aged 19, was that of burglary at St. Matthew's Vicarage on Sunday, October 4, while Canon Grant Cowen and his family were in church. Against Howell there was a further charge of "breaking and -entering the house of Mr. G. H. Mackay, in Havelock Street. Mr. Justice Reed said that Howell came from Australia only • nine ..months ago. Very shortly after his arrival he was convicted of theft in Wellington and was given six months' probation. Before the period elapsed he received a month's hard labour in Auckland, and he was hardly out of gaol before he was charged with breaking and entering. The sentence woidd be reformative detention for three years. McGlone, in the opinion of the Court, was a fairly decent man until he came under Howell's influence, although he had had convictions for minor offences. One year's reformative treatment would meet his case.

PLUNDER HIDDEN IN VAULT. Frederick Oswald Sakey was the young man who had admitted! two charges of breaking and entering in the city and one of theft, and who concealed his plunder in a vault in Syrnonds Street Cemetery. Mr. Matthews raised the question of prisoner's sanity, and suggested that an abnoixnal condition was due partly to war injuries to the head. Mr. Justice Reed imposed a term of two years' reformative detention, recommending counsel to see that the facts were presented to the Prisons Board. MAORI PUNISHED FOR ARSON. A Maori, Charles Thomas, of Awanui, in the Far North, had pleaded guilty of arson. He was an employee of Mrs. Subritsky, and being dismissed from her service he set fire to her house the same night.

Mr. Dickson, on behalf of prisoner, pleaded for probation, and suggested that his client was mentally abnormal. Mr. Justice Reed committed prisoner to the Borstal Institute for two years.

FALSE PRETENCES CASES. An elderly man, John Petley, who had pleaded guilty to 14 charges of false pretences and who had a lengthy record, was sentenced by Mr. Justice Herdman to two years' hard labour. In sentencing William J. J. Miles for false pretences, Mr. Justice Reed said that although prisoner could earn fairly good wages, as a bricklayer, he seemed to prefer indulging from time to time in crime. Addiction to liquor was apparently one of his principal troubles. Prisoner would be sentenced to two years' reformative detention, His Honor agreeing to see what the authorities would say to prisoner's request that he be sent to Rotoroa Island.

NORTHCOTE BURGLARY. Leslie T. Devlin (Mr. A. Moody), who had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, and theft of cigarettes at Northcote, was sentenced by Mr. Justice Herdman to 18 months' reformative detention. Mr. Moody, in appealing for leniency, said prisoner's trouble was entirely due to drink. His parents were respectable people, and his father was prepared to Etick to him. FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT. William Laurence Mcßae, who had been convicted on two charges of attempted indecent assault on a male at Waihi, was sentenced by Mr. Justice Herdman to five years' imprisonment with hard labour on each charge, the sentences to be concur•rent. MUSIC TEACHER'S OFFENCES. Benjamin Barker, who was undefended, was charged with three indecent assaults upon two small girls, to whom he was teaching music. Accused denied tho charge, but in crdss-examination admitted previous convictions and sentences of hard labour in Dunedin and Australia for similar offences. The jury convicted the prisoner His Honor passed sentence of five years' hard labour, remarking that prisoner was clearly a sexual pervert, against whom children must be protected. WELLINGTON PRISONERS. HARD LABOUR FOR THEFT. .[by TELr.GItAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Friday. Prisoners were sentenced in the Supreme Court to-day as follow:—James Ward and Charles Morgan, theft, two years' hard labour; James Walsh, theft, nine months' hard labour.