Homosexual Sent To Gaol (Press, 11 May 1957)

On 10 May 1957, in the Auckland Supreme Court, Mr Justice T. A. Gresson sentenced Cyril Ernie Richard Webber, a 51-year-old company director, to four years’ imprisonment for each of nine counts related to unnatural offences against males. The sentences were to run concurrently. Justice Gresson described Webber as an active and organising homosexual, identifying him as a particularly dangerous individual. The court heard evidence indicating that Webber had engaged in homosexual relations with numerous men over an extended period, including some who were young and vulnerable. In his plea for leniency, Mr J. F. W. Dickson, representing Webber, claimed that his client maintained his innocence and argued that Webber's life had been irreparably damaged by the charges against him, regardless of the sentence. Dickson articulated a perspective that equated homosexuality with a disease, akin to cancer, noting that both its origins and potential treatments remain largely elusive to medical science. He referenced a growing movement in England, including voices from the Church of England and Justices of the Peace, advocating for reforms in the laws regarding homosexuality, suggesting that such issues should be regarded within a medical context rather than strictly legal. The case reflects prevailing societal attitudes towards homosexuality in 1957 New Zealand, illustrating the intersection of law, morality, and evolving views on sexual orientation during that era.

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