FIFTEEN YEARS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17192, 8 November 1923, Page 7

FIFTEEN YEARS.

SENTENCE ON BURGLAR. j JUDGE’S STRONG REMARKS I'ra rnr.ys Association-. DUNKDTX, rtoTember 8. At the Supreme Court, Joseph j Thomas Christie, alias Joseph \ erhoii j Williams, was sentenced to a total of fifteen years on two charges ot break- j mg, entering and thelt from the pre- I mises ot the Otago Farmers’ Co-opera j tive Company, and on a charge of escaping from custody prior to tho sen Prisoner’s counsel stated that ho had pital, which probably was his trouble. Judge Him said that lie noted from the record of the prisoner that he had Keen declared an habitual criminal at Wellington in 1017. It seemed his practice to got transferred from a gaol to a mental hospital, then dodge tho wardor there. This i.ad been done both in Australia nml New Zealand. He hoped that the gaol authorities would not he j so easily persuaded as to insanity in ; the future. The Crown Prosecutor intervened to 1 state that it had been reported that Christie had made another attempt to : escape custody within the past few days. The Judge, in imposing sentence, addressed the prisoner, stating that the ‘ result of the sentence should he that ; he would have no further opportunity j to trouble the police. If lie did. it ! would be clue only to carelessness of the i gaolers, because the Prison Board would never dream of releasing such a j mttn - _____