CHAU MING v. THE QUEEN
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CACC000644/1968
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF HONG KONG
APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 644 OF 1968
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| BETWEEN | ||
| CHAU MING | Appellant | |
| AND | ||
| THE QUEEN | Respondent |
Coram: Huggins J.
Date of Judgment: 5 December 1968
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JUDGMENT
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Huggins J: The appellant appeals against a sentence of 6 months' imprisonment imposed by the learned magistrate for an offence of larceny from a person. He was seen acting suspiciously in the street and at a bus-stop he was seen to take something from the pocket of a person about to board a tram. He pleaded guilty to the offence. The appellant has a very long record of previous convictions, he having been before the court previously on no less than 38 different occasions since 1956. Some of the previous offences related to dangerous drugs but there were many of dishonesty. The appellant had been out of prison for only a very few days when he committed this further offence: he had been convicted on the 9th of April for a similar offence and sentenced to 9 months' imprisonment. In my view 6 months' imprisonment was if anything a light sentence for picking pockets in the light of the appellant's record. He has been in and out of prison with monotonous regularity and I felt it was desirable to know something more about his past.
2. I have had a valuable report from the probation officer. This shows that the appellant has really made no attempt to rid himself of his obvious addiction to drugs which is very likely at the root of his trouble. He has no fixed place of abode and has had no regular employment for the past 10 years. I see no reason to interfere with the sentence that was imposed by the learned magistrate.
3. The appeal is dismissed.
5th December, 1968.
Representation:
Appellant in person
Mr. Sharatte for the Respondent