PAYING THE PENALTY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16785, 14 July 1922, Page 7

PAYING THE PENALTY.

OFFENCES AGAINST THE LAW. PRISONERS SENTENCED. Several prisoners were brought before his Honor Air Justice Adams in the Supreme Court for sentence to-day. DOG RANGER’S LAPSE. William Broome Cant, formerly rab- j bit inspector and dog ranger for the I Akaroa County Council, was brought i up for th© theft of money belonging t-o ■ the County Council. Air P. P. J. Amodoo. for the pri- j sonor, said that he was thirty-five years j of age, and had a, wife and two children. He had been convicted of the theft of a suit of clothes in 1908, hut ; since then, up to the committal of the i present offence, he had a good record. Air Donnelly said that- the prisoner j collected the sum of £29 10s: part of it was due to him, but he kept- all of it, defrauding the council of about £l9. Air Aniodeo said that the prisoner had no right to detain the £l9, but he thought that he could detain what was bwing to him. He had had a. permanent billet offered to him. Counsel asked for probation. His Honor said in view of the large number of thefts and offences of that nature, it might he necessary to revise the limits in which probation would apply, but tho prisoner would be admitted to probation for three years, and ordered to pay £lO towards the cost of extraditing him from Australia., also to make restitution of the sum stolen. MANY CONVICTIONS “ Drink has been mv trouble. Sir." George Edgar Pengelly, twenty-four years of age, ©aid when he was brought up for breaking and entering and theft-: “also mixing with bad company." he added. Air Donnelly said that the prisoner had a series of convictions against him from 1907 to 1922. On the present occasion lie stole some valuable documents from Air Green si ade, Templeton, and trouble was caused by their being missing* His Honor said that the records showed that the prisoner began his career of crime when he was nine yeais of age. He had throe previous convictions of theft and one of false pretences. He would ho sent to prison for one year, and after that would l>e detained for reformative treatment for three, years. DUE TO DRINK. Thomas Bartlett who had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and theft, is a married man with a young, family. Air A. T. Donnelly, Crown Prosecutor. said that tho prisoner’s trouble was due t-o drink. TTe broke into a warehouse at night and stole about £2O worth of boots. He had been sentenced to a month’s imprisonment. lt This is the kind of case with which we are very familiar.” his Honor said. 11 cases in which men who otherwise are honest and respectable, good husbands and fathers, who take to drink also take to crime. The prisoner committed n number of thefts all about the same time. but. apart- from that, his record is clean. He will he admitted to probation for three rears on condition that he takes out a prohibition order against himself and makes restitution of tho goods stolen.” R E FOR AIA TT V F TR E A TAIE NT. Kenneth Harry Armstrong. three charges of false pretences. said that during the past- eight years, he had tried to be a true citizen and to live righteously. Air Donnelly said that the prisoner had been convicted three times previous! v. Tho nolice report was not verv favourable? There was nothing to sny in extenuation of the recent offences. His Honor said that the offences were j not committed under the strevss of necessity or under sudden temptation. If the prisoner had carried his fraud into full effect, it would have been much more extensive than it was. Ho would he detained for reformative tre atme nt- f© r t h ree yea rs.