SUPREME COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8953, 12 June 1907, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

CHRISTCHURCH. Wednesday, June 12. (Before- his Honor Mr Justice Chapman.) PRISONERS FOR SENTENCE. Waiter Lilly and Thomas Mocdy were called up for sentence en charges c-i burglary, for which they were 'recently tried in Christ-church and to winch they pleaded guilty. Mr Harper appeared for Lilly, and Mr Hunt for lUcody. Mr Harper said that his client was only nineteen years cf age, and hsid b?en employed of? and <ni till ho committed the offences. His pa-rente were people of very respectable character. ■ He <<>sked his Honor to be ac lenient with the prisoner as ho might. Mr Hunt said that his client was the younger of the' bays, and had never been tho leader. In fact, ho had been a steady worker till he was led away by the other" prisoner, and in the offences with which he was charged was, in all casas except one, merely a watchdog whilo the other carried* out hLs schemes. He was seventeen years of age. His Honor said it was alwaj~s difficult to know wJiat to do in these cases. But he regarded these as bad caees, for th© boys had bsth deliberately started to raid the district and rc'b houses during the ansence cf their owners. He must inflict a sentence of imprisonment, and would warn the- beys that in future they were liable to very severe punishment for other offences. Mr Stringer suggested that they should be imprisoned without hard labour, and kept away from the other prisoners. This had boon found to be efficacious in other cases, and robbed "going to gaol" of much of its glamour. His Honor said that tho trouble about that was that it was apt to bo a more severe punishment than hard labour, but he had no doubt that the authorities would attend to the matter. Lilly would bs imprisoned for nine months on each charge, and Moody for six months on each charge, tho iscntencense -to be concurrent, and without hard labour. Harry Rolls, charged with fraud, was called up for sentence. His Honor said that this was a vorv carefully prepared fraud, however cluiv.sy it was. He sentenced Rolls to six months' imprisonment with hard labour. Mr Stringer asked that, as accused • was under eighteen, and had hithrto j borne a good character, the sentence should be enforced at Burnham. His Honor pointed out, however, that the discretionary power to- review the sentence and Bond Him to Burnhapi was vested in His Excellency the Governor. Mr Stringer accepted the position, and said application would be- made to the proper authorities. [Per Pukss Association.] BLENHEIM, Juno 12. In the Supreme Court to-day, John jLoore, afias George Johnston, was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment for the theft of money from lodgers in tho Commercial Hotel on May 10. In the Supreme Court, no bills were returned in the cases of Rox v. Wells j Bros, alleged aheep-st©aliitg, and Rex I y. Geor?o Gibson, alleged land dummyism.