CRIME PUNISHED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19550, 1 February 1927, Page 15

CRIME PUNISHED.

' SENTENCES ON PRISONERS. iFRAUD by customs agent. 'DOUBT regarding penalty. .] JUDGE POSTPONES DECISION. A number of offenders were brought before Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court yesterday for sentence, jjr. Paterson appeared for the Crown. His Honor expressed grave doubt as to how he should deal with Clifton Webb Vei'ran, a former licensed customs agent, who had pleaded guilty to seven charges fcf forgery and twelve of theft, all the offences having been committed in the Course of his business. Mr. Johnstone, for the prisoner, said Verran. had already been lined £IOO for 'four breaches of the Customs Act, arising out of the same transactions. The facts showed that he had no established criminal habit. He had set up in business just over two years ago, when he was 22 years of age. His first year was very successful. It was an advantage if customs agents could, advance moneys to their clients for the payment of charges. 'Verran, who had little or no capital, thought he should fclo so, and so was led to use for that purpose moneys which he held on behalf of clients. The irregularities began in June, 1925. In October, 1926, he took in a partner, ■and from that time all defalcations ceased. After the discovery, Verran fully exonerated his partner and the Customs Department. He had given the police every j,elp and had made full restitution by borrowing money. His Honor said he was satisfied that Verran was not criminally inclined, but lad drifted into the position in which he iound himself. However, it could not be overlooked that he had falsified certain •documents, made false declarations and :fcrged the signatures of a number of people. The case was extremely difficult to deal •with. The prisoner did not require reformative detention; his disgrace had been liis greatest punishment. The question was, what would be the effect on others jf he were given probation ? His Honor ■was disposed to leniency, but he would remand the prisoner until Saturday for ihe purpose of consulting Mr. Justice Hcrdman and the probation officer. Verran's bail was extended. ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE. YOUNG PARTNERS IN CRIME. Sentences of reformative detention for not more than three years and 18 months Respectively were passed on William. Gibson Young and Leonard David Williams, two youths who were committed from Rotorua on a series of charges ox robbery with violence. Mr. Ir.der, for Y'oung, said that prisoner was now 22 years old, and was only 20 •when the offences commenced. Previously lie had been hard working, honest and .. industrious. Mr. Beckerleg, for Williams, said this jar! was only 23 and was still in a position'to make a good and useful citizen if granted probation, or, failing that, sentenced to reformative detention. His Honor said it was ,a most deplorable thing that two young men like the prisoners, each being skilled tradesmen, should launch into a series of crimes. In •the case of Young, the offences extended over a period of a year, during which he broke into quite a number of establishments and stole money, but the case of Williams was not so bad. Young would he sentenced to reformative detention for a period not exceeding three years, and Williams to a period not exceeding 18 months, each being given the right to ■apply to the Prisons. Board for a licence if iliis conduct was satisfactory. MINOR POSTAL OFFENCES. DETAINED UNTIL COURT ROSE. * Keith"- Wilson McAlister was fined £2 i|pr making a fraudulent statement under the Post and Telegraph Act. His Honor remarked that accused had pleaded guilty, but His Honor was not cure that there was an Offence, for the Act-only imposed a penalty for fraudulent declaration, and although this declaration was false it might not have been fraudulent. His Honor was quite> satisfied that the offence was a piece of Btupirlitv. _ Mr. Oliphant, for the prisoner, said the trouble arose out of the time payment system for the purchase of a motor-cycle. The accused, an orphan, was only earning £3 a week. The original price for the motor-cycle was £7l, and when he had paid £4O accused could not keep up the (instalments and he told the firm to keep the machine and the money. The false declaration on the Post Office form was feheer stupidity, and there was no dishonesty. His Honor: I think the persons from •whom ho bought it ought to make some allowance on it. "The offence was only a technical one; indeed, I doubt very much that he committed any offence at all," said His Honor, in dealing with a youth of 18, who was charged with unlawfully opening a ■postal packet. "He is sentenced to be detained until the rising of the Court, which 3 hope will be in a few minutes." Mr. Fawcett. for the prisoner, said thai, ■while employed as a farm labourer he had "taken a letter from a rural delivery box, 3iad opened it because the envelope was torn and dirty, and had enclosed it in a new one. He had not even looked at the •contents. His Honor vemarked that the lad probably wanted to do the sender of the letter « good turn. The prisoner's name was ftFppressed. THE THEFT OF IRON. 'A GOOD RECORD BROKEN". The theft of six tons of iron from the waterfront had been admitted by Benjamin Aldington Reston, a middle-aged 3iia n. Mr. Hall Skelton, for the prisoner, said ■bo had been more than 12 years in one employment on the waterfront, and his record had been excellent. Six months a g r > he appeared to have a mental breakdown. and three months later he came 3 nto the companionship of a man who encouraged him to drink. His employers would take him back at once if he were given probation. In reply to His Honor, ?t*r. Paterson •Mid three arid a-lialf tons of iron had been recovered. Restitution had been Jnade of £.77 10s, for which the remaining two and a-half tons had been sold. pie prisoner was further remanded until "-atm-day, in order that his emplover Wight give evidence. ' ' SHIP'S OFFICER REMANDED. -ANOTHER CHARGE PENDING. The case of Alt mar Letef Andersen, an JD cer on Mr. Zane Grey's yacht FisherM 'ho pleaded guilty to' a charge of heft, was deferred, pending the hearing ' a more serious charge against him.

IMPRISONMENT FOR MAORIS. SERIOUS OFFENCES INVOLVED. A sentence of three years' imprisonment with hard labour was passed upon a Maori, Hira Mokai, who had admitted breaking into a house and attempting to commit a serious offence on a native woman. It was stated that prisoner had a previous conviction for assault and robbery. A young native named I'ene Hercwini was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for an offence against a young halfcaste girl. Ben Anderson, a half-caste, 17 years of age, was fined £5 on a similar charge. YOUTHS GIVEN A CHANGE. TERMS OF PROBATION. A youth of 19, whose name was ordered to be suppressed, was granted probation for two years upon "four charges of theft. Mr. Leary, for the prisoner, said the youth's employers were willing to take him back if lie were granted probation. He had made full restitution. The prisoner was ordered to pay £5 lis costs within three months, and to abstain from betting or frequenting racecourses. Arthur Frederick Charles Jay, aged 19, who had pleaded guilty to forging and uttering a cheque at Kaikohe, was placed on probation for two years and ordered to pay costs and make restitution. The accused had been in the employment of a farmer, and on leaving lie stole a chequebook. He filled in a cheque for £l2 and the local storekeeper cashed it.