GAOL FOR FORGER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 732, 3 August 1929, Page 1

GAOL FOR FORGER

“A PARTICULARLY MEAN ACT” SIX MONTHS FOR SILVER “It was a particularly mean act to pretend to befriend a young man, whom you must have known was not strong mentally. You thought you could bluff him out of making inquiries that would expose you so that you could steal his money.” JN passing sentence in the Supreme Court this morning, Mr. Justice Ostler made these remarks to George Joseph Silver, who was given six months’ hard labour for forgery. The three offences of which Silver had been convicted might be treated as one—stealing £9, said Mr. Dickson, on behalf of the prisoner. Counsel explained that Silver had not been before the court for any offence of dishonesty since 1923, and his record showed that he had been attempting to live a straight life. Silver was still protesting his innocence, but counsel expressed the opinion that in view of his Honour's summing up and the jury’s verdict, it would be a waste of words to pursue that line. Mr. Dickson commended the jury’s recommendation to mercy to the court as an indication that the jury may have had some doubt in the minds of its members. There was a theory, though it was unsupporfable by evidence, said counsel, that there had been a scheme conducted on behalf of Silver and another man under which they were to share the money 50-50. Silver was married, with one child and was a tuberculosis sufferer.

In passing sentence, his Honour said that the police report indicated that since Silver had married two years ago, he had been trying to live a straight life. The seriousness of the offence could not be overlooked, however, said the judge, who stated he had considered the jury’s recommendation in fixing the sentence.