NINE MONTHS' GAOL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 191, 26 May 1934, Page 3

NINE MONTHS' GAOL.

ESCAPE from prison camp.

TWO OFFENDERS PUNISHED.

(Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, May 25. Seven charges relating to their escape from the prison camp at Rangitoto Island, and their subsequent escapades, were preferred against 11 ov Taylor, aged 23, and James Macandrew, aged 2d, who appeared befoie Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate s Court. . m Senior-Sergeant Flanagan said: Taylor had been serving a sentence of nine months’ imprisonment for the conveiv sion of a motor-car, and his sentence would have expired in August. Macandrew, who had been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, would have completed his sentence on June 30. They had been locked in their huts at the prison camp at 10 p.m., on May 15, but the next morning warders found that they had escaped. The two prisoners broke into a hut at Islington Bay and removed some clothing. They also converted to their own use a rowing boat belonging to the owner of the hut, and rowed to the mainland. They remained in hiding for a day, and then, walking to Papatoetoe, they took a motor-car and set out to drive to Hamilton. On the way they broke open a petrol pump at Ramarama and stole three gallons of benzine. After visiting Hamilton they abandoned the car, and were subsequently arrested. "They all get a> wild, unreasonable desire to get out of gaol,” said the Magistrate. "They escaped from Rangitoto, and that is a place where they are kept practically oil their honour. For that offence they will each get six months’ imprisonment. They also converted a car, and that is a serious offence. They will get three months’ imprisonment for making nine months all told, to he served at the expiration of their present terms. It would have been much better for them to have stayed and seen their time out.”