MANY OFFENCES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 98, 28 April 1930, Page 9

MANY OFFENCES.

BREAKING-AND-ENTERING. PRISONERS SENTENCED. DARGAVILLE YOUTH'S THEFTS. Special conditions were attached to a probation order made by Mr. Justice Smith, in the Supreme Court this morning, in connection with sis charges of breaking and entering and theft and two charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime, to which a youth of IS, Rudolph Matthew Joseph Eranich, had pleaded guilty at Dargaville on April S. Mr. A. H. Johnstone, who appeared for the accused, said it was difficult to suggest a motive for the crimes. Franich had highly respected parents. He seemed to have taken watches which he did not want, and he had also stolen two pairs of shoes and a tennis racquet, which his father would have been only too glad to buy for him. Money which he had Btolen from a store in Dargaville was handed back when a detects e interviewed him, and the circumstances of the crimes suggested that the ''..as a little sub-normal. He had head injuries when a child; and he suffered concussion last year. The probation officer's report was that accused had a mania for hoises and racing, and that was the cause of the trouble. There were eight offences, and the amount of money stolen was about £30, said Mr. Hubble, who appeared for the Crown. , , , ~ , His Honor asked the boy whether he would try to make good and give up his escapades if he were granted probation. Franich replied that he would. Probation was granted for a period of four Years, on condition that the accused did not attend any racecourse during that period, that he worked on a farm to be approved by the probation officer, and that he refunded the balance stolen, and paid the costs of the prosecution. Stole Liquor from Hotel. An offender from Rotorua, John Joseph Herbert Rush, who had pleaded guilty to breaking, entering and theft, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Mr. Hubble directed attention to accused's previous record and said that he had just completed a sentence at the time of the present crime. He was subject to epileptic fits and these caused a craving for drink. The particular offence for which he was now before the court •was the theft of liquor from a hotel. His Honor said he had noted the peculiar circumstances of the theft, but the prisoner's record made it impossible to' grant probation; The best cours would be to keep him away from drmk for a certain length of tune. Sentence of six months' imprisonment was passed. "Found Door Unlocked." "You have been convicted on a number of occasions, said his , Henry Arthur Esdale, who appeared from Pukekohe on charges of break 0 and entering by day, and the . Accused made a writteH explanation that the door of the presses he had entered was unlocked, bu TP lv said the extent to rely on this statement was affected 7 - accused's previous record. L amount stolen was only A Honor considered it necess; . pose a sentence of 12 months, imprison xnent with hard labour,