ATTACK ON CHINESE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23573, 6 February 1940, Page 10

ATTACK ON CHINESE

MAORIS SENT TO GAOL ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE THE COURT'S SERIOUS VIEW Remarking that the offence was intolerable in any settled community, even if committed by Maoris, Mr. Justice Callan sentenced two Maoriyouths to terms of imprisonment, when they appeared before him in the Supreme Court yesterday on a joint charge of robbery with violence, which they had admitted. The prisoners were both gardeners, Charles Harris, aged 19, and Kere Thompson, aged 20. and the charge against them was that they robbed Fong Foo Ying, aged 52, of £195 10s at Panmure on January 9, and used personal violence toward him. "Neither prisoner is a criminal," said His Honor, "but what they have done must be regarded as very serious. They were working for Chinese, and knew one of them had money. In the dark they waylaid him, and while one placed a sack over the victim's head, the other struck him on the head with a stone. Overpowering him in this way they robbed him.

"Fortunately for them, the Chinese was not seriously hurt," His Honor continued. "However, attacking people in th is way is a very grave tiling. I do not see my way to grant probation, which would not suit this case, even although it may be the prisoners' first offence. The only thing is that they are both very young, and perhaps a short sentence will show how seriously the Court regards this kind of thing." Each prisoner was sentenced to six months' imprisonment 'with hard labour.