HAD BEEN ORDERED TO LEAVE DOMINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18991, 10 February 1930, Page 10

HAD BEEN ORDERED TO LEAVE DOMINION.

“ UNDESIRABLE " FACES FOUR SERIOUS CHARGES. Described as an undesirable person, Ernest Maurice Mason, twenty-five, a traveller, pleaded guilty before Mr H. P. La wry, S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Court this morning to two charges. of theft, one of fraud, and one of assault. Mason was charged:— That on October 1 at Christchurch he assaulted W. H. Went. That on September 27 at Christchurch he received £1 from George Reynolds on terms requiring him to pay it to Wilfred Harold Went, and fraudulently omitted to do so, thereby committing theft. That on September 27, 1929, at Christchurch he received from the Auto Electric Company the su£n of 10s on terms requiring him to pay it to W. H. Went and fraudulently ortiitted to do so, thereby committing theft.

That between October 25 and November 5 at Wellington with intent to defraud, he incurred a debt of £2 to Rachael Judge by means of fraud.

“Your Worship will remember this man,” said Chief-Detective Carroll. “He was before you on October 21 on a charge of assault and two charges of theft, when he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on within twelve months.” A condition was made that he left New Zealand within twelve days, continued the Chief-Detective. He did sail for Sydney but came back under another name. He committed the Wellington offence on the way to Sydney. One of the conditions of his release was good behaviour, and accused had shown himself unable to behave well. He was a deserter from a ship. When this was first alleged, he denied it, but later admitted that it was true.

“Left in a Hurry.” “I have the best of reasons for stating that he left Sydney in a hurry,” said the Chief-Detective. “Prior to October 21 nothing was known against him.” “Another bad feature has crept into the case,” said the Probation Officex. “When he first arrived, he was trying to carry out a certain little scheme which his arrest frustrated. On his return he carried the scheme into effect. He took another man’s wife ’away. He should be deported to where he came from, He is a most undesirable type. “He deserted his wife in England, robbed his mates on the Tamar oa, and has lied right through the piece.” “I will consider the matter,” said the Magistrate in deferring the case until this afternoon. Accused came up for sentence when the Court resumed this aJternoon, and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour, to be followed by one year’s reformative detention, on the charge of fraud in Wellington. On the other three charges he was convicted and discharged. •

“When you were here last October,” said the Magistrate, addressing the accused, “leniency was extended to you. The fact that you may have had provocation for the assault was taken into consideration; and in view of the fact that the amounts involved in your dishonesty were very small, you were given a chance to clear out. In the course of a few days, in spite of the warning you had, you committed the additional offence. You left New Zealand, but had the audacity to return.”