FOUR CASES ONLY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21244, 15 October 1940, Page 4

FOUR CASES ONLY

CRIMINAL CALENDAR SUPREME COURT SESSIONS TRUE BILLS RETURNED “Among the cases to be considered there is only one in the Hamilton judicial district that involves actual dishonesty,” said Mr Justice Blair in his charge to the Grand Jury at the opening of the quarterly session of the Supreme Court in Hamilton today. There were only four bills to be considered by the Grand Jury, said His Honour, two involving the deaths of persons, although not as a result of deliberate acts against them. One case from Tauranga was that in which a man was charged with discharging a gun at another person. The facts should not present any difficulty to the Grand Jury, said His Honour. There should be enougli evidence to enable the Grand Jury to bring in a true bill. A manslaughter charge was the outcome of a fracas after a dance at Hangatiki, when a Maori was hit on the head with a bottle and died afterward. It consisted of a curious set of circumstances, but it should not present a great deal of trouble to the Graivl Jury, Charge Against Motorist The case of negligent driving causing death, one of those which were unfortunately too common, was not a bad one of its type. It arose out of an accident near Morrinsville, when a pedestrian on the road w'as struck by a baker’s van. A theft charge was a fairly simple case in which it was alleged that the accused, a sharemilker, stole a quantity of manure from a neighbour. In this case, also, the Grand Jury might feel justified in finding a true bill. * v. tV b; True bills were returned by the Grand Jury in all cases. The following Grand Jury was empanelled: Messrs A. Bullock (foreman), J. Prescott, W. C. Wynne, I. C. Hayward, F. C. Haycraft, C. B. Mills, T. H. Powell, C. McD. Mcllwraith, G. Moore, J. W. Lewis, ‘ A. Miller, W. V. Morrow, N. H. j Ibbotson, A. E. H. Gronwell, A. B. • Whyte, W. H. Armstrong, D. J. j Cameron, E. V. Quick, W. H. InnesJones, L. Edmonds, S. R. Cuthbertson, E. W. Purchase and S. H. Paul.

DRIVING OF CARS EVIDENCE CONCERNING LIQUOR (By Telegraph.—Press Association) AUCKLAND, Tuesday “I think the number of cases for trial is not excessive for this large district,” said Mr Justice Smith in charging the Grand Jury at the opening of the criminal session of the Supreme Court today. “There are 19 cases involving 20 persons, of whom four are women.” His Honour said the charges comprised one attempted murder and suicide, four sexual offences, nine offences against property and five cases connected with alleged negligent driving of motor-cars. “It is regrettable that there are five serious cases connected with the driving of cars,” he said. "One would have hoped that cases of this sort would decrease. You will find that in four of them there is evidence that the accused person had been taking alcoholic liquor before the accident occurred."

LESS SERIOUS CRIME (By Telegraph.— Press Association) DUNEDIN, Tuesday The criminal sittings opened with six men for trial, the cases involving breaking, entering and theft, liquor from a warehouse and robbery with violence. Mr Justice Kennedy, in his charge to the Grand Jury, said that in this centre, as elsewhere, there had been some diminution in serious crime.