JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 257, 31 October 1888, Page 4

JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

THE BENCH ON LARRIKINISM.

Six lads named Alfred Levers, Thomas Levers, William Eraser, Simon Fraser Henry Hull, and William Casey appeared at the Police Court this morning, before Messrs J. Gordon and J. P. King, jnstices. Their ages ranged from 13 to 16. They were charged with having at Point Chevalier, on the 16th October, committed a breach of the Malicious Injury to Property Act, 1867, section 52, by wilfully and maliciously doing spoil to a certain house, the property of Thomas Ross Gunn, by bespattering the doors thereof with night-soil, and causing damage to the extent of 30s.

Inspector Broham appeared on behalf of the police.

Thomas Ross Gunn was present and expressed a wish that the charge should be withdrawn. He said that the lads had apologised to him and offered to pay all expenses and damages. He hoped that the Bench would find it consistent with their duty to let the lads go.

Mr Broham said that the complainant left his house on the afternoon of the 16th, and upon returning at night, he found that the offence had been committed. It was for the Bench to ..ay whether the case should be allowed to drop. Mr Gunn said that he had been subjected to annoyances before, bub none so bad as this one. But ihe did not think it would occur again as 'the boys and their parents had given hi/n bonds for their future good conduct.

The Ben_"h cautioned the lads about the consequences of such conduct. The lads, even the/ youngest, was old enough to know they were doing wrong in committing such p,ti offensive act. It was a pity thab thatbhey had not some otheremploymentto engage their time. This kind of larrikinism. \va_3 increasing, and bhe Bench could not help coming to bhe conclusion thab the parents of such lads were almost equally to blame, It was all very well for them to say thab they were respectable, but they should look after their children. Of course it was just possible for lads to go wrong without their parents' knowledge, but still here must be a want) of parental care in such cases. These lads had each of them rendered themselves liable to two months' imprisonment. Let them just imagine how boys of their respectability would feel in a prisondress at Mount Eden, working with other prisoners. The Bench hoped this would ba a warning to them not to commit such or similar offence again. In consideration of what the prosecutor had said, and the promises the lads had made, they had decided that the case should be dismissed, all costs to be defrayed equally by the lads.