SENTENCE ON BOY LIGHTENED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 225, 22 September 1945, Page 5

SENTENCE ON BOY LIGHTENED

HIS AGE WRONGLY STATED (P.A.) Wellington, Sept. 21, The Court of Appeal to-day granted the appeal of Mervyn Raymon Hardy against, a sentence of six month:; reformative detention for negliront driving causing bodily inury, imposed by the Supreme Court in Av? 1 ’ 1 '” ' on September 13. The Court stated that it appeared that the accused had been 17 years old when he was before justices, and had given his ago as 18. After ihe Supreme Court sentence it had neon discovered that the age was incorrect. The Court of Appeal was oi oolnlon that a boy of that age shoulc. as a general rule, not be sentenced 10 a term of imprisonment if that could be avoided. There were cases were it was necessary to inflict such punishment, but. this was noi. Mich a case. The sentence, accordingly, was reduced to ten days reformative detention, the effect, of which is immediate release. The cancellation of the prisoner’s motor driver’s licence and inc prohibition of his securing anoiher for three years are not to be disturbed. The Court said the error, if it could be called such, was the fault of neither the Supreme Court nor the justices, but originated in the boy’s own statement.