SUPREME COURT.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1876, 2 June 1863, Page 2

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SITTINGS. Monday, June Ist. 1863. (Before his Honor Mr Justice Johnston.) The Court wasopened with the usual formaliities, his Honor taking his seat upon the Bench at 10 o'clock precisely. ' i s The following gentlemen were then empanelled for the Grand Jury: — VV. M. Bannatyne. (Foreman), W Beethaui, A. Ludlara, E. Miller, E. ; Pearce, (absent), A. B. Rhodes, C. J. Pharazyn, i C. VV. Schultze, J. W. Kebbell, W W. Taylor, J. H. Wallace, G. Moore, J. Woodward, E. Bat. terabee, J. 11. Bethune, VV. Bishop, C. R. Carter, J. F. E. Wright ; Mr James Smith and Sir E. Pearce, were each fined in the sum of £5 for non attendance. Subsequently Air Peaico appeared in ■ Court about 11 o'clock, when his Honor reduced the fine to I Us. Mr Smith also appeared, and was rebuked by the Court, the penalty of Mo being inflicted. His Honor delivered the usual charge to the Grand Jury, commenting on the principal features of the cases that would be submitted to them, aud explaining the law relative thereto. The Petty Jury having been empanelled and sworn, the trial of the following cases was pro- 1 ceeded. with. The Grand Jury then retired, and during the. day, found bills in the following cases : — Regina v. Newman, arson. Regina v, John McDermott, felony. Regina v. Clement Chiverton, larceny. Regina v. Nisbett and Griffin, felony." Regioa v. John McDormott. Felony. John McDermott, aged 26, was indicted for maliciously injuring a horse the property of Patrick Sweeney, at VVanganui, on the third May last. The prisoner pleaded guilty. Mr Gerse, Veterinavy Surgeon, gave evidence as to the nature of the wound which had been inflicted on the animal. His Honor then addressed the prisoner at some length, descanting on the cowardly nature of the oflence, and sentenced him to twelve months imprisonment with hard labour. BEGINA V. CLEMENT OHIVEBTON. Stealing from the person. Clement Chiveiton, a private of the 2nd Bat., of the 14th Regt,, was indicted for stealing a silver watch and chain from the person of one T. a. Bowden. Mr Brandon prosecuted, and Mr Alien appeared for the defence. From the evidence led it appeared that the prosecutor Mr T. S. Bowden, a farmer living at Queen Charlotte's Sound, had been in Wellington on the 12th Feb., and had left the Royal Hotel shortly after 8 o'clock that evening, and could not say where he had been between that hour and 12 o'clock, when he called at another hotel. He had in the interval been jobbed of his watch and chain, his pockets having been nearly emptied. He swore to the watch produced in Court as being bis own. Mr Joseph Fredman, a watchmaker, indentified the watch as having afterwards been brought into his shop by a soldier to be repaired, but could not say that tiie man waa the prisoner. ' Charles Millward, deposed, that information of the robbery had been laid at the Police Court on the 20th Feb., and that in consequence of information received, he got the watch from Mr Fredman, went to the barracks and apprehended the prisoner. He showed prisoner the watch, and asked if it was his, when the prisoner replied " yes, I bought it from a sailor at the Te Aro Hotel." For the defence it was contended by Mr Allen that the link in the chain of evidence was wanting which would connect the prisoner with the loss of the watch by the prosecutor, and to show how the prisoner became possessed of the watch he called a number of witnesses who gave evidence to the effect that he and his brother had purchased it from two men dressed like sailors, at the Te Aro Hotel, ab^ut two months before his apprehension, At the close of this evidence the Judge summed up, and the jury without leaving the box returned a verdict of not guilty.