SUPREME COURT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3374, 14 November 1911, Page 6

SUPREME COURT.

WELLINGTON SESSION'S. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 13. The Supreme Court criminal sessions opened to-day before the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout). The calendar was light. One young woman, who appeared for sentence on a charge of forgery, was admitted to probation for twelve months. John Belcher, who admitted theft, was ordered to be confined at Rotoroa Inebriate’s Home for one year. Leslie Ryan, at present serving three months’ in Wellington gaol, was charged with a breach of his probation order, granted in July last, and was sentenced to two years’ reformatory treatment at the expiration of his present sentence. Frank Roberts, found guilty of the theft of a hamper containing samples; was remanded for sentence till Tomorrow morning. Cecil Braithwaite for theft' of diamond rings, was found guilty and sentence wsa. deferred till the morning. CHRISTCHURCH SITTINGS. CHRISTCHURCH. Nov. 13. The criminal sitting opened to-day before Mr Justice Denniston. _Hi 9 Honor, in addressing the grand jury, said the calendar was a fairly lengthy one, and some of the cases were of a serious character. He regretted that there were two or three very objectionable cases. There was one very peouliai* qase,-that of a jealous woman, who, finding her young man going, out with someone' else, was alleged to-have broken in tlie woman’s bouse and thrown cayenne pepper in her eyes. Fortunately no serious injury had been inflicted. It was the duty of the; jury, it they, found a primia facie case'fsto return a bill accordingly., A '' Andrew iSimb was charged with being an habitual offender. Prisoner was declared an habitual criminal, and ordered to be detained in custody until such time as lie had satisfied the authorities that he had abandoned tlie course of life he had in the past followed. In the case of Grace Agnes McTaggavt, who had pleaded guilty to .bigamy, His Honor said there were no wider degrees of crime than in bigamy. Tlie recent case was peculiar in some respects. Prisoner would be ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, provided she paid the costs of the prosecutions. Mary Browne, a young woman, came up for sentence for concealment of birth.’ Mr Hunter, who appeared for her, said she had been three months in gaol prior to the last Court sessions, and she had since been three months in the Samaratan Home. His Honor said prisoner had practically been ir <»ao'. for six months, so that under these circumstances he would only sentence her to three months’ imprisonment. dating from the last sessions, so that she would he now practically discharged. Norman Ramsay came up for sentence on a. charge of breaking and entering. Mr Stringer stated that prisoner had just come out of gaol when he went to his mother and asked her for assistance. She bought him a set of carpenter’s tools for his trade, and within four days he had committed his present offence. Prisoner was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment. Con Twomey, a seven-teem-year-old youth, pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault. Prisoner was ordered to come up for sentence when called 1 upon. Clias. Amos Houston pleaded guilty to two charges of forging and uttering cheques, and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. Margaret Christina Porter, for whom Mr Cassidy appeared, pleaded l not guilty to breaking and entering tlie dwelling of diaries Dodd, with intent to commit a crime therein, but guilty to- unlawfully assaulting one, Mary O’Donnell. The Crown Prosecutor accepted, the plea. His Honor said he was sure neither the country nor the woman had anything to; gain by sending her to gaol, but there was the question of example to consider. It was no use fining a woman of this sort, because no doubt it would come out of the mouths of her children, It was not a case for punishment, but to deter. His Honor ordered prisoner to enter into one surety of £25 for her good behavior in the future, and ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon. Tliomas Veitch; for whom Mr Leathern appeared, pleaded not guilty to receiving ■a cheque for £lO from some person unknown, knowing the same to.have been dishonestly obtained. Accused was convicted and sentence was deferred. IN DUjNEDIN. DUNEDIN, Nov. 13. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court opened to-day before Mr Justice Sim, who congratulated the district on the lightness of the calendar, there being only three cases for hearing. Alex, aider Walquist was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment j for' breaking and entering a hut-near OamaTu, and' mi a? charge of being a rogue and vagabond Getirge ; Ernest Kelly' was sentenced to sue months’ imprisonment, and ordered to be detained for reformative treatment for a period ret exceeding five )years: Geo. Marshall, charged with obscene exposure in a. public place, and alternatively with committing an indecent act, was acquitted.