PRISONERS SENTENCED

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21480, 23 July 1941, Page 4

PRISONERS SENTENCED

GAOL FOR ONE OFFENDER A sentence of two years’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed on Frank Hawthorne, aged 62, quarryman, of Te Kuiti, when he appeared before Mr Justice Ostler in the Supreme Court, Hamilton, yesterday, on a charge of indecent assault at Te Kuiti on June 10. Hawthorne had previously pleaded guilty. In his defence prisoner asked for leniency and stated that he had not been in trouble since 1926. This statement was confirmed by Mr H. T. Gillies, who appeared for the Crown. “Had it not been for your record I would have taken into account the fact that not a great deal of harm had been done in this case,” said His Honour. “However, you have a fairly long record and in 1926 you were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on a serious charge. When I think of the youth of the boy involved in this case I realise that you are a danger to our boys. As a protection to them you should be put out of the way for some time.” Having pleaded guilty in the lower court to a charge of attempted breaking and entering at Frankton on July 13, John Williams, aged 45, cook, of Wellington, was sentenced to reformative detention for a period not exceeding two years. Prisoner had nejhing to say in his defence, and His Honour stated that the man had other convictions for forgery and uttering in 1931. This year he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment for being idle and disorderly at Taupo, and he had not been out of gaol for very long when he was convicted of theft at Auckland.