SUPREME COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9322, 24 August 1908, Page 3

SUPREME COURT.

« CRIMINAL SIITIJsGS. MONUAY, Al'iit'^T 21. (Before his Hotwr Mr Justice Dennkton.) The criminal sittings of the Supreme Coui-t wore concluded tliis morning, Avhon Mr T. (i. Russell, down prosecutor, appeared for tlie Crown. SENTENCES INFLICTED. John Herbert King, aged twentythree, wat. brought up for sentence on a charge of miecoimuct with a giri imc!(>r sixteen yeans of age. Mv Brown appeared for the prisoner, arid asked that he should be leniently dealt witli. Mr Russell" said that the police knew nothing againet the prisoner's character. His Honor said- that the administration of the clause of the Criminal Code under whit.h thw charge was brought was often a matter of difficulty. He had seen the girl and the girl's mother, and had been told that the offence was more the result of a sudden yielding to temptation than a deliberate attempt at seduction. The probation officer's report wjis favourable, and under these circumstances he would admit the accueed top .robation for six months. Benjamin O'Connell, a young man, wan brought up for sentence, having failed to observe the terms of an. order of probation. Constable. Gould, probation officer, Kaiapoi, gave evidence that the prisoner had failed t» report himself on several occasions ; had left the district n'ithout notifying the police; had been drunk when -arrested, and had consorted with mem of the larrikin class. Th? prisoner said he had been working eighteen miles from the nearest police station, and was unable to report himself. He denied that he had been drinking when arrested;. The prisoner's father appeared, and guaranteed to look after his son in future. H/i* Honor said that if the amount of accused's fine arrears and the costs of the case were paid within a week, the accused would be discharged. He severely cautioned the prisoner against any further breach of hir> order of probation. IN DIVORCE. The sittings' of the Supreme Court in Divorce cpened this morning, when the following case was heard : — &TLELAND v. MLELAND. Grace M'Lelaud petitioued for the dissolution of her marriage with John M'Lelaud, to whom ebe was married on April 17. 1893, on. grounds oi : desertion. The petitioner gave evidence : that the respondent- had deserted her during the past thirteen years, and that she had supported herself for that period. . After hearing corroborative evidence his Honor granted a decree nisi, to lie made absolute in three months, with ccets against the respondent. CIVIL LIST. The cases on the civil list have been set down far hearing a.? follow^ :•-- Moraghan (Mr Hunt) r. Moraghan (Mr Wilding), to amend transfer, 10 30 a.m., September 1 ; Harris (Mr Wiklin^) v. Ford and others (Mr iNeave). claim £1000 damages, before a special iurv of- twelve, 10.30 a.m., September 4; 'Hopkins (Mr Russell) 1 vCoverdale and others (Messrs Alpeas, Wright and M'Dougall), claim £251. 10.30 a.m.. 4.u«rust 28: Whiteman. (Mr Harper) -. Roeenham and another (Mr Lane) to dissolve partnership, and counter-claim for £247 13s 4d, 10.30 a.m., August 26 : Somers (Mr Wilding) r. Lewis (Mr Dal/eill?, specific perrormancc or £5000, 10.30 a.n:.-, August 31 j Turelkekl (Mr Moares) v . O'jNeill (*ir FrazorS, specific perionnauce. 10.-iU a m \up-upt 27 ; Beath and Co. v. Maiiiung^claTm £4 Is 7d, 10.30 a.m... August 25 INI)IVORCE ♦ Cooper (?,* Hunt) v. Cooper August -31; -Hopkins (Mr Hunt; v. Hopkins, August 25 ■: Bayfield (Mr Hunt) V. Bay fielS, August 2o ; Genet (Mr Donnelly) ■v. C?cnet, (August 25. Cohen Mr Alpere) v. Cohen and Ackerly (All Harper) v. Ackerly were allowed to stand over. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, August 24. At the Supreme Court to-day, John Chalker was sentenced to six i^ o » tns imprisonment on a charge of the thett at Pahiatua of a bookmaker s ticket.