BURGLARS SENTENCED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20713, 5 November 1930, Page 14

BURGLARS SENTENCED.

PREVALENCE OF CRIME. "A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL." MAN'S VERY BAD RECORD. Of 11 prisoners who came beforo Mr. Justice Nerdman for sentence in tho Supreme Court yesterday eight had been found guilty either of breaking and entering arm theft or of receiving stolen properly. His Honor made reference to tho prevalence of this typo of crime. "It is quite clear from tho reports 1 hivo before rno that this man is one of the most dangerous criminals in the country," said His Honor, regarding Patrick Gunn, who had been found guilty of attempting to break into a shop in Karangahape Road. Mr. I Noble, on prisoner's behalf, admitted that Gunn had a very bad record, but tho particular offence of which lie had been found guillv was not of a very serious nature. Ho had been working honestly for some time. His Honor said although tho offence was only an attempt, it was absurd to suggest that ho was not to take into consideration this man's previous character. When ho committed tho offence ho was an habitual criminal whom the Prisons Board, in its wisdom, had released on licence, thinking it desirable to give him another chance. Twice ho had been declared an habitual criminal, and from 1913 to tho present time most of his life had been lived in gaol. His licence would now bo cancelled, and His Honor did not think it likely that the Prisons Board would give him another chance of attempting to plunder the public. Ho would bo sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. That meant that his licence was cancelled nnd ho might bo detained so long as tho Prisons Board thought it desirable that he should be kept in custody. STOLEN PROPERTY RECEIVED. FOUR YEARS' IMPRISONMENT. i "Tho report to me is that you are ft gexual pervert and a dangerous criminal," said His Honor, when Theodore Vincent Casey, aged 34 (Mr. Noble), came before him. Casey had pleaded guilty to four charges of receiving stolen property. Mr. Noble said Casey had served in the British Army from 1916 to 1919, and his discharge wus marked "Conduct very good." His Honor: 1 am also informed that he has just served four years' imprisonment. His Honor added that Casey had arrived in New Zealand about 1923, and from then he appeared to have been in tho hands of tho police. He was convicted of indecency in Port Chalmers and in Auckland, and of assault; then in New South he was convicted of assault on a female and of acting indecently. In 1926 he was sentenced to two years' hard labour, to be followed by two years' reformative treatment for indecent assault on children, and he was liberated on licenco in May of this year. Ho would be sentenced to one year's imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be cumulative, making four years. COTTAGE BROKEN INTO. TW.O MEN PUNISHED. For the theft of goods last September from a summer cottage in tho Waitakeres Raymond William Dorricott (Mr. Sullivan) and Thomas Claude Bond (Mr. Noble) were each sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour. Mr. Sullivan pointed out that Dorricott ■was a cripple and he had only once previously been, before the Court on a charge involving dishonesty. Mr. Noble said Bond had heen gathering bottles, and finding an empty house ■with tho door open ho had fallen into the temptation of stealing a few articles of furniture. His Honor said this was the crime that •was most prevalent at present and it was impossible to grant probation. Both the prisoners had been in the hands of tho police before and both had been admitted to probation. Each would be sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour. A STORE ENTERED. REFORMATIVE DETENTION. Sentence of reformative detention for a period not exceeding 18 months was passed on Peter Michie (Mr. Henry) for breaking and entering a storo at Newton on October 14. Mr. Henry said the trouble was caused through prisoner's fondness for drink. He was found lying on a sack iri tho premises nnd apparently no attempt hud been mado to remove anything. His Honor said Michie had heen convicted before and the report about him was not satisfactory. Ho had been consorting with bad characters. After imTosing sentence His Honor said that if * ichie behaved himself ho might be liberated before the 18 months expired. " CLEVER HOUSEBREAKER." /TWO YEARS IN PRISON. Tn pleading on behalf of George Albert Hedley Nixon, found guilty of receiving n stolen diamond ring and a stolen wristlet watch, Mr. Sullivan said Nixon was determined once and for ail to abandon his wayward life and go bark to his people and start afresh. Counsel asked for a short, sharp sentence. " Voti have made np your mind to reform rather late in the day," Ffis Honor told Nixon. The prisoner'had broken ond entered two places at any rate. His record contained convictions for being illegally on premises and on various charges of theft. This kind of offence •was' so common that, lie was bound to punish it as a warning to other men who might, be living on the proceeds ef that kind of crime. "Tho police report that- yon aro a clever housebreaker," said 11: s Honor. " You will be sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour on each charge, the sentences to inn concurrently."