THE PENALTY OF CRIME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 11

THE PENALTY OF CRIME

PRISONERS SENTENCED A VARIETY OF OFFENCES V TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED Five prisoners were sentenced in the Supreme Court yesterday morning by his Honor Mr Justice Kennedy, who imposed terms of imprisonment or reformative detention In all cases with the exception of a single woman charged with disposing of the dead body of a child with Intent to conceal its birth.

Sentencing Margaret Rouhim Bloy to probation for a period of two years for concealment of birth, his Honor said that there was less excuse for the prisoner than for some women in her position because she had had some experience of life. Nevertheless it was apparent that she had been in great distress and for that reason he would admit her to probation. On the score of age and experience, however, his Honor refused to order suppression of the prisoner’s name. AN UNNATURAL OFFENCE John Bond, aged 49 years, was sentenced to 3i years’ imprisonment on a charge of committing an unnatural offence on a boy of 13J years. Counsel for the defence said it was a case .of a man of good character ruining his record with the happenings of a few minutes. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr F. B. Adams) said the prisoner’s previous character as a tradesman had been good but his mentality was not strong. REFORMATIVE DETENTION Leonard Chalmers Young was sentenced to 18 months’ reformative detention on three charges of the theft of money—the proceeds of the sale of bonds in the Metropolitan Theatre Company. Referring to the company of which the prisoner was the head, his Honor said that the operations of such companies were a very serious public nuisance. People were canvassed for their savings and were very often induced to sell out investments, as had been done in this case. It did not seem to have troubled the prisoner that he’had misappropriated the money of a widow, his Honor concluded. TWO YEARS’ HARD LABOUR Thomas William Fairy was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour on five charges of breaking and entering shops and warehouses. His Honor said the prisoner had committed the crimes in Waitahuna, Milton, and Mosgiel, using a car to get around the country. In one case he had used explosives and as a result of that fact the offence must *be regarded as serious. The prisoner had a bad record and he would be sentenced to two years’ hard labour on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. , BREAKING AND ENTERING Edward Farris was sentenced to one year and nine months’ imprisonment on charges of breaking and entering and attempted breaking arid entering. His Honor said it was clear that whether he was the ringleader in the crimes or not, the prisoner was very deeply implicated in them. His Honor said he inclined to the view that Farris was primarily responsible for the offences in which others had been involved. He had had many chances, but his record showed that he was disposed to drink and lawlessness, and the police report indicated that he was in the habit of consorting with undesirables.