MAORI'S BAD RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22476, 21 July 1936, Page 13

MAORI'S BAD RECORD

SENTENCED FOR THEFT TWO HOUSES ENTERED When appearing for sentence beforo Mr. Justice Fair in the Supreme Court yesterday on two charges to which ho had pleaded guilty of breaking into houses and stealing from them, Mati Kura, aged 30, asserted that ho had not broken into any house at all. ' 'I took the stuff away," he added, " but the house was not locked. 1 just went in." His Honor reminded him that he had admitted pushing up a window and getting in that way. In law that was "breaking and entering." His.Honor recalled previous convictions of the prisoner in 1930 for theft at Otahuhu, in the same year on 15 charges of theft and wilful damage, also theft from a vessel, breaking and entering, and arson, for which ho received two years' hard labour, and other convictions for theft in 1934 and J 935. " With a record such as you havo you cannot expect anything but a sentence of imprisonment," said His Honor. " You soem to be determined to follow a life of crime ard to live by thieving rather than by woi'king. These two offences were committed actually during the time when you were released on licence from imprisonment." Prisoner was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour, to follow the sentence he is at present serving.