PENALTY OF CRIME

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11366, 13 November 1922, Page 4

PENALTY OF CRIME

A HARROWING STORY MALE AND FEMALE PRISONER SENTENCED AT DUNEDIN. “REVOLTING TREATAIENT.”

PBR PRESS ASSOCIATION. DUNEDIN, November 11. At ' the Supreme Court to-day prisoners wore sentenced as follow: — Alexander Christie Bennett, breaking, entering arid theft, 10 months’ imprisonment. James Linford Sharp, breaking, entering. and theft, (tour charges), eight months’ imprisonment. The following have been sentenced to reformative detention : —Arthur Ernest Ede. two yeans for indecent assault; Morris James Heslip, two years for theft; James David Deans, two years for theft as a postal officer; Hugh Alexander Forbes, four yeans for attempted carnal knowledge; Vivian Jones, five years for breaking and entering ; Edwin Alphonsus Game, two years for breaking, entering and theft; Stewart Cecil Harland and Heatherbelle Harland, the former to five years and the latter to two and a half years, for concealment of birth. Addressing the Harlandis, in passing sentence, Sir Robert Stout said; “The jury have found you both guilty of concealment of birtli, that is that the dead body of the little baby found in Park street, rolled up in a towel and brown paper, was your child. Tt is a harrowing storv. I do not desire to dwell on it. How anyone could have strangled yonr child I cannot conceive. I must assume you were not the slayers of your first bom. Your treatment, however, of the poor body after it was dead was revolting, and in the years to come I should think you will never bo able to efface the sad memory of your conduct. The Crimes Amendment Act gives me power to impose a sentence of reformative detention not exceeding ten years. Were I to unduly extend the term it might be thought I was punishing you for a crime of which you were found not guilty.” His Honour then passed sentence as above. CRIMES IN AUCKLAND FIVE YEARS FOR GRAVE OFFENCE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 11. At the Supreme Court, Archie Taylor, a negro, guilty of eight charges of receiving and breaking and entering, was -sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and declared an habitual criminal. Jaimes O’Brien, for theft from the person, was admitted to probation for two years. William Hunter, a middle-aged man, for indecent assault on a male, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, Alir Justice Stringer stating that he would not inflict a flogging, to which the accused was liable. James Waring Jamieson, accountant, aged 61, appeared for sentence on five counts of making false declarations in connection with a trust account of Hammond and Cracknel], solicitors. It was stated that he had recently undergone a severe operation, and required hospital treatment for six months. Air Justice Stringer 6aid that Jamieson had failed for five years to audit the accounts, with the result that while in the first year the firm’s accounts showed a deficit of £II,OOO, which he should have detected, when the crash came the embezzlements exceeded £45,000, the public, by accused’s default, being swindled to thni extent.' It would be cruelty to send the accused to prison in his present condition of health, therefore he would postpone sentence for six months to ascertain then whether Jamieson’s health Jrnd been sufficiently restored to receive punishment if thought fit that punishment should be imposed on him.