THEFTS OF CARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 221, 19 September 1927, Page 8

THEFTS OF CARS.

GANG BEFORE COURT.

YOUTHS TO BORSTAL

INSTITUTE.

PUBLIC MUST BE PROTECTED

COMMENTS BY MAGISTRATE,

The four youths, Joseph Robert Salter, aged 16, Harley William Dear, aged 16, Walter Richard Dear, aged 17, and Cecil George Robinson, aged 19, who were remanded at the Police Court last

week on a series of charges of converting motor cars to their own use, were this morning sentenced by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., to a year's detention at the Borstal Institute.

Chief Detective Cummings prosecuted, and Mr. Oliphant appeared for the accused, who pleaded guilty to all charges.

Mr. Cummings stated that there were seven charges against Salter, six against H. W. Dear, nine against W. R. Dear, and seven against Robinson. The charges involved eleven different cars. The offences had occurred during the period from August 2 to September 10. Accused had taken various cars from different parts of the city and the suburbs. Last Saturday week a car was taken from John Street, Ponsonby. It was reported to the police, and all the suburban stations were notified. The car was seen by two constables to pass through Newmarket, and a chase resulted in the two occupants being arrested. The other two accused were afterwards interviewed, and admitted the offences. Salter was the only one of the four who had a driver's license. The boys possessed a bunch of keys for fitting into cars which had been locked 'by their owners. This bunch was found on one of the accused when arrested.

Since the arrest of accused there had been no missing cars reported to the police. There was no proof that any of the cars which had been burned had been taken by any of accused. There were, however, other cars which accused had taken, apart from those mentioned in the charges. In some cases extensive damage had been done to the vehicles. A doctor's car had been taken from outside a house in which he was attending a patient.

Mr. Cummings considered it a menace to the public to have the young men driving along the public highways at the speed at which they passed through Newmarket last Saturday week. The younger Dear had been drawn in by the others, who were really the ringleaders.

Mr. Oliphant said that he would like to point out that they were about to be convicted on their own confession. In this they had saved the Detective Department a lot of trouble and the public purse a good deal of money. They had been locked up for two nights and in the case of _ two of them, their jobs were under suspension. All four were apprentices. The younger Dear and Robinson were unable to drive. It was a case in which parental control could not be blamed. The boys had started off more in a spirit of youthful adventure than with criminal intentions. Their admission of the offences might be taken as a sign of penitence. He would ask that the punishment be not too severe, and would suggest very strict probation.

Mr. Hunt said that it was very difficult to know what to do with accused. From talks which he had had with the probation officer he had learnt that they were good at their work, and that there had been nothing WTong with their upbringing. Still, he had a duty to perform to the public. The boys had shown a total disregard for public property and public convenience. They had not done it merely once, but had continued offences in the face of strong public opinion. There had been a public outcry against it, but it had no effect on them.

The magistrate said that he was empowered to send them to goal for three months or to fine them £100. He would not send them to goal, and if he fined them they would not be able to pay the fine.

"If I let them off with" probation," continued Mr. Hunt, "it would be making a farce of the whole criminal law." He would take advantage of the act which allowed him to send them to the Borstal Institute. He would order them to be detained at the Borstal Institute for a period not exceeding twelve months. There must be instilled into them a sense of responsibility for other people's property, which they at present seemed not to possess. (

" I am making the term short," concluded the magistrate, "so that they may get back to their trades as soon as possible."

The sentence was imposed on the first charge in each case, and on the other charges accused were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.