PRISON FOR YOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20900, 16 June 1931, Page 12

PRISON FOR YOUTH.

OFFENCE AGAINST GIRL. COUNSEL EXPLAINS ABSENCE. Sentence of four months' imprisonment ■with hard labour, to bo followed by a period of reformative detention not exceeding a year, was passed by Mr. Justice Smith in the Supreme Court yesterday on George Moir, a youth, who had admitted committing an offence against a girl 15 years and 5 months old. The case had been twice adjourned, last Monday to enable inquiry to be made into a suggestion of marriage between the girl and accused, and on Wednesday owing to the absence of prisoner's counsel, Mr. Noble.

Mr. Noble said he desired to make nn explanation to the Court. When the case was heard the previous Monday, His Honor had just made a very defini.e pronouncement that girls must be protected, nnd the only tiling remaining that might have made him view the case more lightly was the statement that the parents of the giil had agreed to her marriage with tho prisonei. His Honor had directed the Crown Prosecutor to ascertain if that was true, and counsel thought ho could not take tho matter any further. If ho had thought for a moment that ho could he would have been present last Wednesday, for under no circumstances would he desert a client-. Ilia Honor said he was not clear whether Mr. Noble understood that he was to make further representations or not Apparently there was some difference of opinion between lnm and tho prisoner on the subject. No doubt Mr. Noble would see that no further misunderstandings of that nature occurred.

'I ho Crown Prosecutor, Mr Meredith, said lis had a telegram which said the girl's parents would not consent to tho marriage.

His Honor said he "must take into account that the prisoner had previous convietions for assault and brcakirg and entering. The police report was definitely against him, and it was alleged ho was fond of drink. His Honor then passed sentence.