YOUTH'S SERIOUS OFFENCE

NZ Truth, Issue 1204, 27 December 1928, Page 3

YOUTH'S SERIOUS OFFENCE

Assaulted Married Woman Under Shooting Threat LURE OF SHOWING HOUSE TO LET

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative).

The perpetration of a dastardly act upon a married woman has placed Ralph John Garrett, a young man of 19, who formerly resided at Taihape, beyond the ken of his fellow-men for a period of two years.

T TNDER the pretext of showing w Gladys Annie Margaret Cannons' a house which she was desirous of letting, Garrett lured her away to an unfrequented spot and committed a serious offence against her. Garrett was charged at the Taihape Court recently and last week made his appearance m the Wellington Supreme Court for sentence. At the initial enquiry m Taihape. Garrett was not represented by counsel and entered a plea of guilty. When he made his appearance before Judge MacGregdr last week, m Wellington, his honor remarked that it seemed to him that had the prisoner pleaded not guilty and been properly defended he would have been acquitted. The district probation officer recommended probation, but Crown Prosecutor Macassey opposed this course and Garrett was remanded till the following Monday for sentence. When Garrett finally appeared, Judge MacGregor said he found some difficulty m the case, which was an exceptional one. . Prisoner had pleaded guilty to a aerious offence against a 'woman older than himself, and although it was not an aggravated case, Garrett had pleaded guilty to the full offence, thereby making ~ himself liable to very severe punishment. Apparently the prisoner was not very strong, either mentally or physlgally. The passing of sentence was postponed because the probation officer at Taihape, who presumably knew Ideal conditions, recommended probation. This, however, was an unusual course to adopt m a serious case of this kind. His honor snid he had come to the 6onclusion that probation could not be granted and a substantial penalty must be imposed/ A term of reformative detention would be to the prisoner's benefit, and the sentence of the court would be reformative detention m a Borstal institution for two years. Lawyer W.' Perry, who appeared on the prisoner's behalf, had stated that Garrett was suffering from some skin complaint, but his honor thought the prisoner's health would probably be better looked after where he was going than on a small bush farm. The tale of Garrett's crime as unfolded before Justices of the Peace at Taihape during the initial proceedings <<AirKala/1 a la Mr r\f vn nvo 1 ofnKUlt,, r><->

the part of the young man. Garrett met Mrs, Cannons m the streets of Taihape and, .knowing- she was looking for a house to let, told her ' ■"■'■•.* iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiii

he could show her a place not far away which she could rent for 7/6 a week. Garrett offered to take Mrs. Cannons to the place m hie lorry* and the woman replied that she would accept his offer provided there was no "funny business." Garrett informed her the place was a mile and a-half away, and about this distance from Taihape the lorry fulled up near a section of bush land. Giving evidence Mra. Cannons said that Garrett told her that the house was m the centre of the bush,. thro\»gh which they would have to go. There was some discussion about which was the best way to reach the house, whereupon the young: man stated his intention to commit an cftoce against her. "If you do, I'll report you," Mrs. Cannons said she told Garrett, but the accused made answer: "If you tell anybody or report me, I've got a pistol m my pocket an.d I'll shoot you." Garrett thereupon dragged her to a tree and committed the offence. : Mrs. Cannons said she did not see . - any house and cried during the commission of the offence. She returned •: a certain portion of , the """ way back to . town with Garrett in' the lorry; after a third of the journey had been covered she told him to stop and she descended from the vehicle. She complained to 'her sister and, immediately afterwards, to the police. To the court, Mrs. Cannons stated she had known the accused for some considerable time prior to the assault. She declared that she had not been a consenting party and never at any time m the past had she given Garrett any encouragement. Mrs. Cannons said that by the words, "funny business," she meant that Garrett was • not. to take, advantage of her. "One sometimes has to say that to young feHows," she remarked." Dr. David Livingstone Sinclair, who examined Mrs. Cannons following the assault, stated that she was suffering from eSctensive bruises on various parts of the body. She -was also In a great state of mental perturbation. The arresting constable said that when he first interviewed Garrett, the latter denied the statements made. Later, however, he admitted the offence. Accused was ultimately remanded to Wellington for sentence. The penalty meted out to him by Judge MacGregor was a well-deserved one and but jufct retribution for the grave crime he committed. '

Moral Instability