SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3713, 12 May 1925, Page 30

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS.

AUCKLAND, May 5. At the opening of the criminal sessions Mr Justice Alpers, n his charge to the grand jury, said the only very serious case was one of manslaughter against Stanley Alfred, arising out of alleged negligent driving of an omnibus at Newmarket. It would be stated in evidence that the accused was driving at 35 to 40 miles an hour, and that the passengers protested against the excessive speed. AUCKLAND, May 8. In the Supreme Court Robert Heaton Munro and Daniel Thomas Flynn pleaded guilty to 17 charges of breaking and entering and theft, and the conversion of stolen property. They were remanded for sentence till Monday. WELLINGTON, May 4. In the Supreme Court to-day, before the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Edwin Ernest Oulliford, for breaking and entering at Wellington, received a sentence of six months’ imprisonment. William Russell Miller, with three previous convictions for forgery and uttering at Blenheim, was sentenced to two years’ reformative detention ; Francis Edwin Merlet, theft at Featherston, two years’ probation; Sidney Gray Railton, forgery and uttering at Masterton, two years’ probation; Oswald Charles Morgan, forgery at Wanganui, three years’ reformative detention.

May 5. The criminal sessions opened before Sir Robert Stout, who congratulated the grand jury on the fact that the persons for trial were not so numerous as usual, and the offences generally were small, there not being a very serious offence on the list. Thomas Joseph Donald pleaded guilty to stealing at Wellington an overcoat and cheque book, and to forging and uttering a cheque for £ls on a bank and obtaining goods and money. He also pleaded guilty to other theft charges. Sentence was deferred, his Honor saying that tjie man had suffered from malaria through being at the Front and he wanted to make enquiries. Harold Donald Hastings pleaded guilty to having improper relations with a girl under 16. As accused was under HI, sentence was deferred. Herbert Blake was found guilty on a charge of breaking and entering a warehouse with felonious intent The prisoner, when found inside the premises, said that his car had broken down and he had come for assistance. He had found tho picket gate entrance open and walked in. He was found guilty and remanded for sentence. Ernest James Hughes, who pleaded guilty to tho theft of small sums from his employer was remanded for sentence. J. J. Corby was found guilty of attempting to break and enter premises. Sentence was deferred For burglary at Eastbourne, John Henry Graham was found guilty. Sentence was deferred. May 9. The Chief Justice sentenced the following prisoners in the Supreme Court to-day: Herbert Blakes (theft and breaking and entering), six months, and twelve months' reformative treatment; John Henry Graham (breaking and entering and theft), two years' reformative treatment; Ernest George Hughes (theft), eighteen months’ imprisonment; John Joseph Corby and Alfred Clement Dunford (attempted breaking and entering), reformative detention, the former to eighteen months and Dunford to twelve months; Thomas Joseph Lowry (theft and receiving and forgery), two and a-half years’ reformative treatment, Harold Oswald Hastings (carnal knowledge), three years’ probation under special conditions; Allen Donn Fallon (forgery and false pretences), eighteen months’ imprisonment; Robert Si wes Ballantyne (false pretences), two years’ probation; William Charles Shirley (making a wrong statement to the registrar of marriages) was fined £2O. TIMARU, May 9. Tn the Supreme Court Ronald Luigi Barretti, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault on a male, was ordered to be detained in the Borstal Institute for five years. PALMERSTON NORTH, May 5. The quarterly cession of the Supreme Court opened this morrung before Mr Justice Refed, who congratulated the district on the absence of crime. His Honor said the district possessed an enviable re putation in this respect, and usually the criminal cases that came before the Supreme Court originated from without the immediate district. On the present occasion there were only three criminal indictments, and they included no chargo of indecency, violence, or sexual orime, but were all based on dishonesty. Two young men, Robert Howden and Denholm© Gillespio, were conjointly charged with stealing £73 from Stanley Gibson. Tho accused, who were represented by Mr Ongley, of Palmerston North, and Mr Sievwright, of Wellington, pleaded not guilty. The trial lasted several hours, and the jury returned after 20 minutes’ retirement with a verdict of guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy in tho case of Howden. His Honor said that in considering this, he would have to bear in mind the prisoner’s record. Both had previous convictions. The evidence showed that there were throo men concerned, and that Gibson was beguiled to walk with two of them. At the Esplanade they were met by a third party, Gillesp'e, who wanted to play cards. Gibson offered him £2 to come along where his evident wealth would not be endangered. Gillespie grabbed Gibson’s _ wallet and all threo disappeared. Gillespie had boon brought back under escort from Sydney. May 8. An action for slander was commenced in the Supreme Court this morning, in which May Gibson, aged 23, single, in proceeding against Harry Ray, an ex-billiard saloon proprietor, claiming £IOOO for alleged slan-

der. Counsel for plaintiff, in opening the case, said that Ray was. alleged to have stated that plaintiff was unchaste and had submitted to the performance of an illegal operation involving another man in £2OO expenses for the operation and payment. After a retirement of three hours the jury returned a verdict for the defendaut with costs on the highest scale. In the Supreme Court, two prisoners, Thomas Higgins, alias Jofcn Patrick Higgins, and Ray Buckley, alias Molly Riley, were charged with receiving money, knowing it to have been stolen. The former was ordered to be detained in a certified inebriates’ home for two years, and also to pay the cost of prosecution. The latter, whoip the jury recommended for mercy, was granted probation on certain conditions. Robert Howden and Denolin Gillespie were sentenced to two years. Detective Holmes said that the evidence showed that Howden had a bad record. Counsel for Gillespie said that the latter belonged to a very respectable family. Until the last few years he had had an unblemished record. Douglas Gordon Hollis, who pleaded guilty in the lewer court to the theft of a mail bag and contents, valued at £l3O. handed his Honor a written statement, ana promised to go straight after any term of imprisonment inflicted. The judge said he could not grant probation as the letters had been destroyed. He imposed a sentence of 12 months’ reformative detention. A girl, aged seventeen, whose name was ordered to bo suppressed, was charged with opening a postal packet, and was admitted to probation. William Ross was found not guilty on a charge involving the theft of a mail bag and contents, valued at £l3O, at Mangere, near Shannon, in March of last year. TIMARU, May 8. James Murray, an ex-postal official, wa3 charged at the Supreme Court before Mr Justice Adams with having forged the signature of J. R. Macdonald, farm labourer, Albury, to the Post Office Savings Bank withdrawal form, by -which accused withdrew £2OO from Macdonald’s account and converted it to hi 3 own use The accused put forward an elaborate defence. He said that Macdonald had aimself signed the withdrawl form and bad lent him the £2OO. Having failed to get the money repaid by accused, he was now charging nim with having forged his signature, so that he could recover it from the Postal Department. There was no entry in Macdonald’s pass book showing the withdrawal of the money { and accused accounted for this by saying that Macdonald had not his pass book with him when he signed the withdrawal form. Macdonald emphatically denied accused's statement, and said he had never given authority to anyone to withdraw hia money. Considerable evidence was heard, the case lasting two full days. The jury, after four hours’ retirement, disagreed, and a new trial was ordered for the August session. The court rose at 2 a.m. THE SHANNON BANKRUPTCY. WELLINGTON, May 4. The bankruptcy of George Vance Shannon was again before the Supreme Court to-day, when an application waa made to Sir Robert Stout for discharge. It will be remembered that the only proved creditor was Matteo Sarciche, who had secured a verdict from Shannon for £ISOO damages in divorce proceedings. Mr Macassey, for Sarciche, opposed discharge unless some reasonable offer of settlement were made. There was a prospect (he said) of Shannon coming to money which Sarciche would have no opportunity of getting. The Chief Justice allowed an adjournment, although he said he did not know whether the extension would be of any assistance to the creditor.