The Sentence on Holt.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XII, Issue 1743, 25 June 1886, Page 4

The Sentence on Holt.

In the Central Criminal Court, gydnoy, on June 2, Edward Brown Holt, who had pleaded guilty to having stolen a cheque for £4000, came up for sentence. Mr Uogera, who appeared on behalf of the prisouer, made a statement m mitigation of sentence based tipou the written Btatetnent handed m by the prisoner and appeal to His Honor to pronounce such a sentence as would prevent the prigoner from being kept at hard labor. Mr Justice Pawcett m pronouncing judgment, said that if he consulted his own feelings he would leave prisoner to his owu remorse without passing aoy comment. The offence of which prisoner was guilty amounted (o larceuy whilst occupying a position of the highest trust, and as an ordinary bank clerk if he Hlole £20. was subjected to serious imprisonment, it was difficult to see how tbo prisoner's sentence could be greatly mitigated. His Honor said the prisoner was liable to imprisonment for five years, and he would not bo justified m reducing that term to a • serious extent. | The prisoner would be sentenced to four years imprisonment with hard labour. In the New South Wales Assembly on June 4, m replying to Mr W. Clarke.the Attorney-General stated that his attention had beeti directed to the leading articles m the daily papers referriug to the inadequacy of the sentence passed on Holt, He asserted that the charge on which prisoner was found guilty was* the only one likely to be proved, and he considered that as the smitenca included one year's solitary confinement it was quite adequate to the nature of the crime committed. In his opinion the sentence might have been made even shorter. Mr Wise, ex-Attornny-Gcneralj remarked that the case was a downright failure of justice, and gave uotice that on Tuesday he would move the adjournment of the House to refer to the matter.