SUPREME COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19391, 28 July 1926, Page 15

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS OPEN. WORK OF THE GRAND JURY ONE NO-BILL RETURNED. NEGLIGENT DRIVING CASE.

The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court were opened yesterday before Mr. Justice Stringer. Twenty-eight cases were presented to the grand jury, true bills being returned in all but one.

The following comprised the grand jury:—Messrs. 11. C. McCoy (foreman), J. L. Schischka, R. Smith, R. .J. Ross, W. B. L. Power, C. Olliff, G. Nicks, F. G. Alpe. W. 11. Xagle, J. If. Adams, L. V. Moses, E. 11. Little, W. M. S. Kissling, H. Keegan. W. Dawn, 11. D. Cooper, ]L M. Cardon, F. Trice, P. W. Bollard, J. Wallace, E. Ashton and C. A. Whit-

In the charge to the jury, His Honor said the majority of the cases were of the ordinary type, and in no case should there be any difficulty in returning a true bill. He proceeded to refer to a manlier of fatal motor accident cases and to the necessity for the exercise of a higher degree of care and skill on the part o!' motorists. Dealing with the other cases he said an important one was the

charge of receiving stolen property preferred against Michael Keadv, licensee of the Britomart Hotel. His Honor mentioned that receiving stolen goods encouraged stealing,

The bill thrown out was that against Allied William Hegh, who was charged with negligently driving a motor-bus, thereby causing death.

MOTOR-BUS FATALITY. CHARGE AGAINST DRIVER. GRAND JURY RETURNS NO-BILL. The grand jury yesterday dismissed the charge preferred against Alfred William Hegli of negligently driving a motor-bus, thereby causing death. Hegh was the driver of the Royal Company's bus which collided with a telegraph pole in Manukau Road on the morning of May 17, Miss Lorine Taylor, a passenger, being killed. Commenting on the case in his charge to the grand jury, Mr. Justice Stringer said the bus had been travelling at between 15 and 20 miles an hour. As the interior of the vehicle was becoming warm Hegh tried to open ihe windscreen. In doing so, he apparently gave the steering-wheel a twist, with the result that the bus mounted the footpath and collided with a telegraph pole, a young lady receiving fatal- injuries. It was for the grand jury to say whether Hegh should be called on to answer a charge of negligence. It had to consider whether his act was a reasonable one or whether he should have waited until the bus was stopped before he attempted to open the screen. The grand jury returned no-bili.

GUILTY ON SECOND TRIAL. FALSE EVIDENCE ADMITTED. Already serving four months' imprisonment for theft of wine from a church, Theodore Casey, -seaman (Mr. Beattie), was found guilty on his second trial in the Supreme Court yesterday of two charges of indecent assault. At. the previous trial, the jury, after finger-print evidence had been given, found Casey guilty of theft of wine, but disagreed on the two other charges. Several young girls repeated their evidence in regard to the offences, and accused's defence of an alibi was rebutted by two women who resided in the house in which he stated he spent the afternoon.

Questioned concerning the theft, Casey admitted he had taken wine. Mr. Paterson, for the Crown: Yet you denied this in your' previous evidence?

Accused: I did not think there was any harm in it, and I do net see what it has to do with this case.

His Honor: It may not be serious, but the serious part is that under oath you made a statement that was not true.

After a short retirement, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on both counts, and sentence was deferred until next Monday.