SUPPRESSION OF NAMES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17143, 27 December 1929, Page 4

SUPPRESSION OF NAMES

APPLICATION REFUSED S.M. HAS STRONG FEELINGS .(Special to the Herald.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. "Suppose we had no newspapers. Although we have an efficient police force I am afraid we would have three or four times the amount of crime we have at present," said Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. Mr. Mosley made these remarks when dealing with an application by Mr. C, E. Purchase for the suppression of the the name of William Sellers Deal, who was convicted on a charge of' attempted suicide. Mr.. Mosley said he had very strong feelings about the suppression of i names. The condemnation of accused ' s fellows was half ' the punishment. ; ■ :'■ * '.' ,"'■■.• Accused, who was represented by Mr. Purchase, pleaded guilty to attempting to commit suicide on November 13. Senior-Sergeant Shanahan said accused was an ex-hoteikeeper and lived at Riccarton. On November 13 he attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head with a. revolver. Mr. Purchase said accused had had a grcat'deal of trouble and was suffering from a nervous breakdown. He had recently lost his wife and had to go Jiaek to* hospital. He had been living alone and had been brooding'. Mr. Mosley, to accused: How do you feel now? fe "Quite an right, sir," replied accused. * . Mr. Mosley: You know you should not do a thing like that. What about yoirr sons? You must think of thflfiti A man does not want to do these things twice. Accused: No, sir; as a rule he only does it once. Accused was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when .called upon. Mr. Purchase made an application for the suppression of accused's name, saying that if his name were published it would do defendant no good. Mr. Mosley said there had been a good many similar cases lately, and if he suppressed one name he would have to suppress them all. He did not think the court would be justified in doing so. After making the remarks quoted above, the magistrate said:"l have very strong feelings about the suppression of names, and I feel that if I granted the application in 4 this case it would be tying my hands."