SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3618, 17 July 1923, Page 26

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

AUCKLAND, July 11. At the Supreme Court John William Pates and Kivin Lawrence Larsen, for breaking and entering, and theft at Te Kuiti, and Larsen for attempting to break and enter, were each sentenced to reformatime treatment, Larsen not exceeding throe years, and Pates not exceeding two years. Frederick Linton, a youth at present undcrgoing reformative treatment for a series of offences, appeared in respect to a charge of breaking, entering, and theft at Christchurch. His Honor did not add to the present sentence, saying he would leave it to the Prisons Board. “It is difficult to know- what to do with these bodies of young men coming here for 'breaking and entering and theft,” said Mr Justice Herdman, when 10 young men. their ages ranging from 16 to 26, came before him for sentence on dishonesty charges. “This procession,” he added, “is a lamentable business. The police and Justice Department cannot check it by punishments. There is no,doubt the fault lies in the home training. Tlie boys do not seem to be brought up as they were a few years ago.” Jack Norman and Alfred Omoara, aged 26, received two years’ hard labour for breaking and entering. The other cases were mostly dealt with as probationary. Joseph Thurston, a ship’s fireman, for wounding with intent the fourth engineer Gf the steamer Arawa by hitting him on the head with a spanner, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. His Honor said that it was a deliberate and cowardlv assault. The wonder was that the engineer was not killed. Ernest Harcld 3.l‘Lean, who admitted bigamy, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. William Arthur Perry, who went through the form of marriage with a woman after his wife deserted him and his two children, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on.