TWICE A DESERTER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20056, 13 March 1935, Page 12

TWICE A DESERTER

ONCE SENTENCED TO DEATH The exploits of a man who was sentenced to death during the Great War for desertion and afterwards received the King’s pardon, were recalled at Norwich lately, when he was sentenced for another offence. In the dock appeared Herbert William King, jun., aged 45, a labourer who pleaded guilty to stealing 11/3 from gas and electricity meters. A police officer stated that King served in Gallipoli in 1914 and returned to England suffering from frozen feet. In 1917. in France, he deserted from the firing line and was sentenced to 15 years’ penal servitude. The sentence was postponed, and King afterwards deserted again. This time he was sentenced to death, the penalty subsequently being commuted to 15 years’ penal servitude. While waiting to be conveyed to the base King was wounded, and after spending two months in England he broke out of hospital and escaped. In 1918, while a deserter, he was arrested in Norwich for shop-breaking. In August, 1921. having served three years and two months of his 15 years' sentence, he received the King’s pardon and was discharged. He had since then served various sentences for larceny and shop-break-ing. In December, 1930, he was seriously injured while at work and was now unable to follow his employment. King was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in the second division.