(a)The Court shall receive any statement which the accused desires to make with reference to the charge, and shall read the summary of evidence, and annex it to the proceedings, or if there is no such summary, shall take and record sufficient evidence to enable them to determine the sentence and the confirming officer to know all the circumstances connected with the offence. This evidence will be taken in like manner as is directed by these rules in the case of a plea of "not guilty";