MISPLACED LENIENCY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17453, 30 December 1930, Page 6

MISPLACED LENIENCY

VAGRANT REAPPEARS OVER SIX MONTHS’ GAOL GIVEN Leniency extended by the bench in the Police Court yesterday morning to; Morgan bnssell, 42, was obviously misplaced. Having been placed on pro? bat ion on charges of theft, and drunkenness, Russell straightway proceeded; to commit three other offences, which led to his re appearance in tho court this morning before the same Justices of the Peace who dealt with him yos-, terdny. He received a salutory sentence) the terms of imprisonment imposed aggregating over six months. Russell to-day pleaded guilty; to charges of drunkenness for the third time within six months; of being an

idlo and disorderly person in that he solicited alms, and of failing to comply with, tho terms of his release on probation. Senior-Sergeant Wade remarked thaU after being released on probation yesterday', the accused visited the hotels, with the result that he became under the influence of liquor. Ho thus com*; mitted a breach of his prohibition order and of the terp* of bis jojease,

Furthermore the accused begged money from people on the street, and that was not. his first offence in that lino, for when he first came to town he cadged 5s fid from a man who happened to ho present in court. Russell asked the bench to send him to the island. “He’s looking for a good home,” remarked Senior-Sergeant Wade; “there are other more suitable places. ’ ’ “A bit of hard work would do you more good,” remarked the chairman, Mr. Mirfield. “The bench has come to the conclusion that you are a hopeless case. You seem to have come here to havo a good time on other people's money.” On the charge of drunkenness tho .accused was sentenced t.o 14 days’ imprisonment; on the charge of vagrancy he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and on the charge of failing to comply' with the terms of his release on probation he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, the terms to bo cumulative. A, charge of procuring liquor while prohibited was withdrawn, in view' of the fact that only a stipeadary magis* trato could deal with it, «