PRISONERS SENTENCED

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19661, 22 August 1935, Page 7

PRISONERS SENTENCED

HARD LABOUR TERMS. BREAKING AND ENTERING. THREE YEARS AND TWO YEARS "It Is quite clear to me that this Is a case of criminal enterprise deliberately planned and executed by young men, all of whom have been oonvlcted before for various offences though on the whole these charges are the most serious of their exploits,” commented His Honour, Mr Justice Callan In the Supreme Court at Hamilton to-day In sentencing Ernest Edwin Newton (22) and Graham Wilfred Morton (24) who had been found , guilty early In the week of break* Ing, entering and theft at Waharoa and Don Rudolph Melhose (23), who pleaded guilty to the same offences.

Mr D. Seymour, for Newton, stated that accused who had been in Borstal before preferred to be sentenced to imprisonment with bard labour. Newton had been in trouble four times before while Morton bad 12 previous convictions.

For Melhose, Mr W. J. King said that accused had an opportunity to take over a farm in 1938 which had been left to him. lie asked that any reformative detention term should be served at Waikeria to allow Melhose to learn something about farming. He admitted that accused had been in trouble many times before. In sentencing Newton and Morton to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour and Melhose to two years and six months’ imprisonment with hard labour, His Honour remarked that Melhose had shown some indication of being straight about the matter and also had saved the country a great deal of expense. “In imposing these terms I am making sure that society will not he troubled by them for some time to come and also to give them time to realise that “preying on the public’’ does not pay,” said His Honour. “Regarding Melhouse’s application to be placed in Waikeria, I have not been responsible for his sentence of two years’ reformative detention which he is now serving, hut if he made application to the Prisons Board I am sure he will placed in the Institution. All sentences commence from to-day and are to toe concurrent with any terms accused are now serving.” Ohaupo Storo Burglary. ‘This c'ase is in the same unhappy class as the previous one. The young men deliberately planned the affair and they have both been in trouble before,” commented Mr Justice Callan in regard to John Henry Wilson (23), who was found guilty of receiving stolen property from the lOliaupo store ■of the Farmers’ Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Limited, and Leslie Jack Davis (24) who was found guilty of breaking, entering and theft at Ohaupo on July 17. Davis was sentenced to three years’ hard labour and Wilson to two years’ bard labour, the sentences to commence from to-day and to toe concurrent with any other term they were now serving. Davis had a previous conviction of assault with attempt to rob and Wilson several convictions for less serious offences. "I wish to say publicly that In my Judgment the conducting of the Investigations by the police In both these cases have been highly creditable," remarked HIS Honour. “The pollco have served society well, and this should bo a warning to others that It does not pay to ‘prey upon society.’ ” "SLY GROGGING" CASE. WOMAN IMPRISONED. Found guilty, with a strong recommendation to mercy, on two charges of 'Selling liquor and one of keeping liquor in a proclaimed area, Elsa Clara Howie (44), of Taumarunui, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment to-day. His Honour, Mr Justice Callan, said that accused had 13 previous convictions dating back to 1918 and besides being fined a total of £l7O, had been sentenced to a month’s imprisonment in 1932. She was liable to a term of twelve months’ Imprisonment, but taking the Jury’s recommendation into consideration ho would reduce the sentence to three months on each charge the sentences to Jie concurrent.