CRIME PUNISHED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20954, 18 August 1931, Page 12

CRIME PUNISHED.

'SEVEN MEN SENTENCED.

OFFENCES AGAINST PROPERTY / 't

THEFT BY SHOP MANAGER.

"GOING FOR A FAST LIFE."

Seven prisoners, all of whom had been found guilty of offences against property, were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment by Mr. Justice Ilerdman in the Supreme Court yesterday. A shop manager from Hamilton, Henry 'Alfred Richardson, appeared for sentence for haviijg stolen £l5O from his employer. It was stated /that prisoner had had the advantage, of an English public school education, and that ho was in receipt of a private income of £4 a week. Mr. Sullivan, who appeared for prisoner, said he was 37 years of age, and had received serious injuries during long war service. He was prepared to make restitution of the whole amount. He was entitled to £4OOO, which would be coming to him in January next, and he had about £SO in hand.

■■ His Honor said prisoner had been convicted before, -and there was no excuse for his conduct on this occasion. Tho probation officer said prisoner had made up his mind to go in for a fast life and for that purpose he had helped himself to his employer's money. He would be sentenced to be detainee), for reformative purposes for a period not exceeding 18 months. I — : LONG RECORD OF CRIME. TWO YEARS' HARD LABOUR. Jj Unable to speak above a whisper on account of lung trouble from which he is suffering, Roderick Ryan made a plea to' the Court for leniency through Mr. Meredith, the Crown Prosecutor. By an had been found giulty of passing a valueless cheque for £6 6s at Huntly on July 27, and of stealing an overcoat, cap, and 'gloves. .ji "He asks Your Honor to deal with him- leniently, as he has not ■very far to go on account of the com plaint from which he suffers, said Mr. Meredith. "Arrangements had been made for him to go to a sanatorium." His Honor said the Justice Department would have to see to that. Ryan s previous history showed that he had devoted himself to criminal purposes since 1908. From 1912 to the present his career was a history of criminal acts. He would be sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour on the charge of false pretences, and on the charge of theft to 12 months' hard labour, ''the sentences .to be concurrent. The prison authorities and the medical officer would no doubt do what was necessary in tho interests of his health. MAKING A BAD START. MAORI BOY BURGLAR. When asked if he had anything to say Here Komene (Jerry Coleman), a Maori, aged 17, said lie was very sorry He had been committed for sentence _ from Whangarei for breaking and entering a shop by night and theft. His Honor told prisoner that at an early age he had begun to become a criminal. He was' convicted in 1929 of stealing a horse and later of unlawfully /taking a motor-cycle. The proper place for him was a Borstal institution, and he would be sent there for a period not exceeding two years. POSTMAN'S LAPSE. •* PROBATION IMPOSSIBLE." There were six charges of stealing postal packets containing money against Edward Francis George Moore, a postal officer at Auckland (Mr. Finlay). ' Mr. Finlay said Moore was suffering from ill-health, and he did not seem to have average mentality. He seemed to Lave been somewhat of a misfit in the job. His Honor said prisoner had committed 18 separate offences of opening letters that had been entrusted to him to. deliver to business houses. It was impossible to grant probation. The offences were too serious, and he nad been thieving systematically. He would be sentenced to nine months' imprisonment with hard labour. ABUSE OF TRUST. BORROWINGS LEAD TO THEFT. On two charges of stealing sums of money totalling £3u from his employer, John Hair Masters, aged 49 (Mr. Anderson), was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment with hard labour. Mr. Anderson said Masters had begun borrowing small sums, from the cash box, of which he had charge. A few months ago he became involved as a result of this practice, and about the same time bis salary was reduced from £6 to £4. His Honor said prisoner had been previously convicted nine years ago of theft and he received three months' imprison ment with hard labour. Evidently he had been systematically stealing. The sentence would be nine months' imprisonment with hard labour. EMPLOYER ROBBED. THREE YEARS' DETENTION. When asked ,if he had anything to say before sentence was passed, Leonard Walter Lash, aged 34, said he was now serving a two years' sentence, and added that ho had not pot an excellent record. He had been found guilty of the theft of , £2l from the house of a gardener who had employed him. His Honor said that since 1926 prisoner had been before the Court almost continually. He would be sentenced to bs detained for reformative purposes for a period not exceeding three years, the sentence be concurrent with the one he ;was now serving. THEFT FROM HOUSE. YOUNG AMERICAN SEAMAN. Sentence of reformative cletontion for a period not longer than two years was imposed upon David Wallace, aged 18, described as an American seaman, for breaking and entering a house and theft. His Honor told prisoner he had made a bad start. Since he arrived here recently from the United States he had been con- ■ victed in Wellington, and now he had been, convicted here. The sentence at y Wellington had been detention for two years, and he did not propose to add to that. The sentence he now imposed be conewsrent.