NO LENIENCY SHOWN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19024, 26 May 1936, Page 16

NO LENIENCY SHOWN

SERIOUS MAORI CASE THREE YEARS' GAOL SUPREME COURT SENTENCE A sentence of three years’ imprisonment was imposed by Air. Justice Reed, acting Chief Justice, in the Supreme Court to-day on a Maori, Te Hore Paiiohi, committed from Ruatoria for an offence against a girl at Te Araroa on April 28. Mr. S. V. Beaufoy, for prisoner, said that the prisoner was a young man of 28, and had resided in the past at Te Araroa, where the offence was committed. He had never been before the court on any previous occasion and bore a. very good character, being a good worker, it was a thousand pities that, he had not. been represented by counsel at Te Araroa, which was 117 miles from Gisborne, and 1 had little or no opportunity at that distance to engage counsel. The prisoner, as a Maori, had a small idea of the English language, and he made a. mistake in making a statement to the police in not having an interpreter to explain the full meaning of the English words. Prisoner stayed with the parents for about three years, and grew kumaras for them. His Honour: There is no evidence to this effect. Mr. Beaufoy asked that he be allowed to bring out those facts. His Honour: It would make no difference to the crime. Air. Beaufoy said that the parents went to Tikitiki, and the prisoner was left with the girl at home, and was told that he could take the girl as his wife. His Honour: That is denied. Air. Beaufoy said 1 that may have been because the prisoner was not previously represented by counsel. He trusted that His Honour would deal with the matter lightly, and in view of prisoner’s past record grant him probation. Air. Aluliooly, the prisoner’s employer, was willing to take him back to work. His Honour said that the case was not an ordinary one. The girl was under 14, and prisoner practically raped 1 her. He had admitted the girl was not a consenting party. Some leniency was extended to Alaori hoys when the girl was the consenting party, but leniency could not be shown in this case. Prisoner was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.