DISGUSTING LETTER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17958, 9 December 1932, Page 4

DISGUSTING LETTER

SENT THROUGH POST

“DEPRAVED & BESTIAL MIND”

DESERVING OF IMPRISONMENT

“No one but a man of depraved and bee tin! mind could have thought of such a filthy and disgusting composition,” said Mr P. H. Harper, S.M., in the Police Court this morning in convicting a young man, Wilfred Kelly, on a charge o' sending or causing to be scut through the post an indecent document. The accused pleaded guilty to the charge, and was fined £5.

Senior-Sergeant Wade explained that on November 7 a man complained to Constable Cooper that the young lady with whom he was keeping company had received a letter through the post containing a concoction of filth. The letter asked her to meet the writer at a certain time and place, arid the police arranged to be there also, with the re .ult that the accused was caught, and admitted having sent the letter, “ft is one of the filthiest things that anyone could have received, ” added the senior-sergeant. “It would have been bad enough if it had been sent In a man, but when it was sent to a • mug woman who had given the accused no encouragement in matters of this sort, it would appear that the accused had the mentality of an animal. The letter might have had a damaging effect on a young girl in after years. There i.s nothing to. be said for the accused. It may be said that his mind is unbalanced, but if so it is ’ unbalanced sexually. Mr S. V. Bcaufoy, who appeared for the accused, pointed out that Kelly had seen the foolishness of his ways, and was very sorry that he had posted such a letter to the girl. He was a married man, and if he wore sent to prison his wife and child would suffer. He hud not previously been before the court, and counsel asked that he should be admitted to probation, and that his name should be suppressed, because of the unhappiness that would be caused in his household If the court read the letter, added counsel, it would see that perhaps the man was not responsible for hie action.

Senior-Sergeant Wade submitted that women must be protected against men of the accused’s description. “I have had the unpleasant task or reading this letter,” said the magistiate. “It is one of the most filthy concoctions I have ever read.' No one but a man of depraved and bestial lhind could have thought of euch a filthy and disgusting composition. I agree with the senior-sergeant that the accused is more like an animal than a man.

“The act provides for a fine of £IOO or three months’ imprisonment, and if the accused were a single man I*. would have no hesitation whatever in sentencing him to the maximum term. If I did, however, I’m afraid that it would inflict hardship on his wife and child. The fact that the accused has •i wife and child makes his offence all the more serious, but saves ihim from the term of imprisonment he justly deserves. lie will he fined £lO, in default one month’s imprisonment. I .shall certainly not grant the suppres.i of hie name, but nn order will be ado prohibiting the publication of I lie names of the other parties.” On being informed that the accused was engaged on relief works, the magistrate remarked that he had not been aware that the accused was unemployed. “Though I don’t like doing it,” he said, “I’m afraid I shall have to reduce the fine to £5.”