A SERIOUS CHARGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19970, 11 December 1926, Page 14

A SERIOUS CHARGE.

THREE YEARS’ HARD LABOUR, (Special ro Daily Times.) WELLINGTON December 9. A sentence of three years’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed on Elizabeth Ann Wylie, alias Nevill, in the Supreme Court yesterday by Mr Justice Ostler, she having been found guilty—with a strong recommendation to mercy —on a charge of using an instrument, or other means, on a woman with intent to procure a miscarriage. In passing sentence his Honor told the prisoner that from a perusal of her bank book he strongly suspected that she had been engaged in the practice for which she was being sentenced for some years. However, he would not take that into consideration. He personally considered that she had been very fortunate in not being convicted of two more charges, but he would not take that into consideration. Neither would he take into consideration the fact that the jury had failed to agree on the first charge on which the prisoner had been tried. “I am going to treat this case as a single case, as though you had only one conviction against you.’’ said his Honor, “but. 1 cannot hide from myself the fact, that you must have known perfectly well the seriousness of the crime you committed, and that you were content to do it for the sake of the money which it brought to you.” His Honor pointed out that he had promised the jury that he would give every consideration to its recommendation. The usual sentence imposed for an offence of the kind of which the prisoner had been found guilty was a period of something like seven years. He did not intend to inflict a sentence of that severity, but, at the same time, he could not .illow such an offence to pass without inflicting a substantial punishment. The prisoner was sentenced to .imprisonment with hard labour for a period of three years. ;