CRIMINAL TRIALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22864, 20 October 1937, Page 18

CRIMINAL TRIALS

OPENING OF SESSIONS A SHORT CALENDAR CARELESS DRIVING CHARGES COMMENT BY THE JUDGE " I am pleased to be able to say that the number of bills you will be required to consider is much hjps than tho average in this district," said Mr. Justice Fair when delivering the charge to the grand jury at the opening of the quarterly criminal sessions of the Supreme Court yesterday. "It is not unusual," His Honor continued, " to find some 20 or 30 persons committed for trial at tho quarterly sessions, but at this session tliero are only 11. Unfortunately, there arc four persons charged with negligent driving causing death." His Honor said he thought they would all agree that whenever human lifo was lost or endangered the facts should be carefully inquired into, and that if the fatality was due to carelessness tho person responsible should have to answer for his offence. One feature that was satisfactory about this group of charges was that none of them showed that reckless and wilful disregard of a driver's duties that constituted tho worst type of this class of offence. Various Charges There was only one sexual offence charge; one person was charged on five counts with uttering forged Reserve Bank £5 notes; one with the theft of a diamond ring valued at £lO5, four with breaking and entering and one with false pretences. His Honor indicated that thero was sufficient evidence for a true bill in all the cases, with the exception of two out of six charges against a Maori of theft and breaking and entering at Pukekolie. On the two counts of breaking and entering His Honor directed that no bills should be found. The Grand Jury The following were empanelled as the grand jury:—Messrs. V. T. Drew (foreman), S. H. Airey, W. It. Bayrte, E. M. Bennett, A. It. Bevins, H. L. Bowden, W. C. Browne, C. Clarkson, J. Donald, N. A. Duthie, H. F. Finlay, E. Harper, J. Jarratt, H. Lawry, L. M. Lennan, W. H. McCallum, A. Pascoe, L. W. ltainger, T. E. Reynolds, W. H. Shearer, It. G. Tappcnden, H. H. Watkins.

A 110 bill was returned in the case of Mate Urlich, charged with negligently driving a motor-truck so as to cause death, and the two counts of breaking and entering at Pukekohe against Tu Whakarara were also rejected.