PROBATION GRANTED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7974, 4 December 1911, Page 1

PROBATION GRANTED

YOUNG MAN’S'CRIME.

A JUDGE’S DUTY.

A young man named Alfred _ Arthuf Henderson, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking, entering and theft at Karaka Bay, was brought before Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, at the Supremo Court on Saturday for senH. H. Ostler appeared for the Crown, and Mr A. L. Herdman for the. prisoner. ... . , Mr Herdman asked that prisoner bo convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. His Honor remarked that in sentencing a prisoner he must look, not merely at what had been proved in the court below but must also take notice of facts outside that. Thus he would boable to say why a sentence was made severe or light. , If he did not do this he would have to do what was done in. the old days, anci just sentence a prisoned to eighteen months for the first offence, two years for the second, and so on. The principal thing about the prisoner in'this case was that he appeared to treat his offence as a matter of little consequence. The chief-detec-tive’s report was to the effect that prisoner showedby his attitude that ho did-not fully realise his position. Mr Herdman: X think he does, yout Honor. ' , ' His Honor remarked, that he was always anxious, when poss-ble, to deal leniently with youna men. The theft in this case was a particularly mean one* but as prisoner had . employment to go to he would be allowed probation for twelve months, with a condition that for the first three months he should not remain out after 6 o'clock in the evening. Addressing prisoner, his Honor warned the young man that he must look to his conduct in the future better than he had done in the past, if he were to have any sort of career iu- the world.