Joinder of counts, and proceedings thereon

(1) Subject to sub-section (2), any number of counts for any crimes whatever may be joined in the same indictment, and shall be sufficiently distinguished. (2) Where there are more counts than one in an indictment, each count may be treated as a separate indictment. (3) If the court thinks it conducive to the ends of justice to do so, it may direct that the accused person be tried upon any one or more of the counts separately. (4) That order may be made either before or in the course of the trial and, if it is made in the course of the trial, the jury shall be discharged from giving a verdict upon the counts on which the trial is not to proceed. (5) The counts in the indictment which are not then tried shall be proceeded upon in all respects as if they had been contained in a separate indictment, Provided that, unless there are special reasons for so doing, no order shall be made preventing the trial at the same time of any number of distinct charges of theft, not exceeding five, alleged to have been committed within six months from the first to last of those crimes, whether against the same person or not. (6) If one sentence is passed upon any verdict of guilty on an indictment containing more counts than one, the sentence shall be good if any of those counts would have justified the sentence.