BANK ROBBERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 21

BANK ROBBERY

A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL TEN YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 27. Found guilty yesterday of robbery under arms at the Adelaide Road Post Office, William .Alexander Crossan was sentenced to-day by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) to ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour. Crossan, when asked if ho had anything to say, declared that he was absolutely innocent of the robbery, and knew nothing about it. The Chief Justice said he did not sec that the jury could have returned a verdict other than that of guilty on the evidence. Robbery under arms was a most serious crime. Crossan had been armed with a revolver which, from the fact that it was discovered in his room fully loaded, it was fair to assume was loaded when he committed the crime. It was a fair inference from his previous record that, either in the Post Office, or on an attempt to arrest him, the revolver was intended for use, if necessary.

His Honor referred to Crossan’s previous record, mentioning incidentally an affair in respect of which, he said, he understood that Crossan shot and seriously injured a police officer. It was plain that in all the circumstances that Crossan could not he treated otherwise than as a criminal of a very dangerous type. His Honor made an order for the return of the money found in Crossan’s room when arrested. *