SUPREME COURT

Southland Times, Issue 20173, 9 May 1927, Page 7

SUPREME COURT

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. AUCKLAND SESSION. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, May 7. In the Supreme Court to-day George Edward Dickman, Alfred Richard Dickman, Henry James Dickman and Darcy Robert McDevitt, who all pleaded guilty to several charges of breaking, entering and theft, came up for sentence. McDevett was sentenced to two years and declared an habitual criminal, Henry Dickman to two years, Alfred Dickman to one year, and George Dickman to two years. Albert Henry Parish, for an indecent assault on a female, was sentenced to five years’ reformative detention. At the Supreme Court the Jury failed to agree in the case of William Jenkins, who was charged with an offence on a young girl. A new trial was ordered. The case was peculiar in that the girl had repudiated her written statement and the accused had repudiated his statement admitting that he had attempted to commit the offence. In view of the girl’s statement the Crown Solicitor abandoned the major charge and relied on the charge of committing the offence. His Honour said the accused had charged the detective with framing up the whole case, but he thought the Jury would have no hesitation in coming to the conclusion that a police officer having no interest in the result would fabricate such a document. The Jury were deliberating for five hours, when the foreman stated that there was no hope of an agreement. Jackson Sutcliffe, charged with indecently assaulting a girl 10 years of age at New Lynn, was found not guilty. TIMARU SITTING. Timaru, May 6. In the Supreme Court, Mrs Crosson, wife of Thomas Crosson, farmer of Geraldine, charged with a breach of the Chattels Transfer Act, in that she disposed of two lots of wool and two lots of sheep which were subject to a bill of sale held by the National Mortgage and Agency Co., was found guilty and admitted to two years’ probation. She was ordered to pay costs amounting to £4B. The whole day was occupied with the hearing of a case of alleged slander, Mrs E. E. Drinnan, wife of a St. Andrews farmer, claiming £lOOO damages from William Campbell of the same district. A verdict was returned for plaintiff for £lOO. Defendant’s counsel advised his intention to apply for a re trial on the ground that the verdict was against the weight of evidence. DUNEDIN SESSION. Dunedin, May 7. At the Supreme Court, Henry Emmett Shiel and Stanley Kitchener Barnett, on eight charges involving false pretences, conspiring to defraud and forgery in connection with a motor car deal, were found guilty on all counts and remanded for sentence till Monday.