SUPREME COURT SITTINGS

Southland Times, Issue 16889, 14 November 1911, Page 5

SUPREME COURT SITTINGS

(Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, November 13. Tho criminal sittings opened to-day before Air Justice Den'niston. His Honour, in addressing the Grand Jury, said that tho calendar was a fairly lengthy one, ■ and some of the cases were of a’ serious character. He regretted that there were two or three very objectionable cases. There was : a very, peculiar case, that of a’ jealous woman .who. finding her young man going out with someone else, was alleged to have broken into the other woman's house, and thrown cayenne pepper into her eyes. Fortunately no serious Injury had been inflicted. It was the duty of; the jury, if they found a prirnu facie case, to return a bill accordingly. Andrew Seemb, charged with being an habitual criminal, was ordered to be. detained in custody until such time as he had satisfied the authorities that he had abandoned the course of life lie had in tho past followed. . ' In the case of Grace Agnes McTaggart, who had pleaded guilty to bigamy. His Honour said that there were no wider degrees of crime than In bigamy. The recent case was peculiar in some respects. Prisoner would be ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, provided she paid the costs of the proceedings. Diary Brown, a young woman, came up for sentence for concealment of birth. Mr Hunter, who appeared for her, said that she had been three months In gaol prior to tho last Court sessions, and site had since been three months In tlie Samaritan Home. His Honour said that the prisoner had practically been in gaol for six months, so that under these circumstances lie would sentence her to only three months’ imprisonment, dating from the last sessions. That meant that she would be now practically discharged. Norman Ramsay came up for sentence on a charge of breaking and entering. Mr Stringer stated that prisoned had just come out of gaol when mwent to liis mother and asked her for assistance. She bought him a set. of carpenter’s tools, for his trade, and within four days he had committed his present offence. Prisoner was sentenced to eighteen months’ gadl. Con. Twomey, a seventeen, year old youth, pleaded guilty to a’charge of indecent assault. Prisoner was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Charles Amos Houston pleaded guilty to two charges of forging and uttering cheques. Prisoner received two years’ imprisonment on eacli charge, the sentences to lie concurrent. Margaret Christina Porter, for whom Mr Cassidy appeared, pleaded not guilty to a charge of breaking and entering the dwelling of Charles Dodd with intent to commit a crime therein; hut guilty to unlawfully assaulting one Mary O’Donnell. The Crown Prosecutor accepted the plea. His Honour said ho was sure neither the country nor the woman had anything to gain by sending her to gaol; but then there was the question of example to consider. It was no use fining a woman of this sort, because no doubt it would come out of the mouths of her children. U was not a case for punishment, but to deter. His Honour ordered prisoner to enter N into one surety of £25 for her good behaviour in the future, and ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon. Thomas Veitcli, for whom Mr Leathern appeared, pleaded not guilty to receiving a cheque for £lO from some person unknown; knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained. Accused was convicted and. sentence was deterred.