BURGLARS SENTENCED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 9

BURGLARS SENTENCED

j* IN AND OUT OF GAOL" FIREMAN WITH A RECORD MAORI WHO ROBBED CHINESE Three men who were convicted tyy juries last week of breaking and entering and theft were sentenced by Mr. Justico Herdman in the Supreme Court yesterday. "I am quite satisfied, Morton, that you do not deserve any consideration ac all,".; said His Honor, when sentencing Robert Morton, aged 37, ship's fireman, and Cletus O'Brien, aged 28, hawker, for breaking and entering a house in Nelson Street, and stealing- four suitcases, clothing, and other property of a total value of £35. The prisoners were not represented by counsel, and Morton handed a letter to His Honor. "I have read your letter,", said His Honor. "You have not been long in New Zealand.. What your career was before you arrived here in 1928 V I do not know. Since you arrived you have been in and out of gaol continuously. The last serious 'offence of which you were convicted . was robbery with violence, and you were then sentenced to three years' imprisonment with hard labour.." , • ' Morton had been convicted, His Honor said, on the clearest evidence, of breaking and entering: and theft. The crime was common and his record was a bad one. He would be sentenced to three years' imprisonment with hard labour. In the case of O'Brien, His Honor said the police gave a rather favourable report and indicated that he was acting under the influence of his Companion. Although he had been convicted before liis record was not a bad one. He w6uld be sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with, hard labour. \ < • A Maori, Sampsoil Laineck .Davis, aged 23, was sentenced by His Honor to two years' imprisonment: with hard labour for breaking and entering and theft from a Chinese dwelling .at Mangere. . . , ; ... y r ! : ; 'm Mr. Noble said prisoner did not. seem to have been involved in any offence into which violence entered. He was a Maori and probably looked .at these things from a slightly different angle than did Europeans. No damage was done to the door, and what he got was very trifling. "Apparently you have made a practice of breaking and entering these buildings of Chinese out at Mangere," said His Honor. Prisoner had been convicted before in January and again in March of last year. The police reported that he was- a bad character and associated with undesirables and persons .of low character, so that there was no room for leniency in the case. He would be sentenced to be imprisoned with hard labour for two years.