"ACTION OF CAD."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1935, Page 10

" ACTION OF CAD."

YOUTH'S OFFENCES. VISITS TO GIRLS' ROOMS. " TEiOPI/E TERRIFIED."

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) GISBORNE, this day. As the sequel of a series of nocturnal incidents which commenced last winter, as the result of which residents in. the localities were caused considerable concern, an 18-year-old youth appeared before Mr. E. Walton, S.M., in the Children's Court yesterday, charged with being a rogue and vagabond in that he was found on enclosed premises by night without lawful excuse. Detective McLeod explained that last August a number of complaints had been received about a man visiting houses at night and looking through windows. Considerable alarm was feit in certain localities, but in October the activities ceased, only to recommence this month. Careful watch was kept, and as a consequence accused was arrested when leaving a telephone box after ringing up a g{ v \ j,, one o f tlle houses which had been visited. Admissions of Accused. Accused had admitted visiting a number of houses. In one case he had gone to a place where a girl was sleeping in a tent and had .sat down on the bed. The same night he went to another house, placed his hand through the window of a girl's bedroom, and caught hold of her foot, running away when she screamed.

As the result of incidents of this description the people in the district had become .terrified. The detective added that the boy was employed by his father, who was prepared, if probation were granted, to keep him under stricter control. A condition of the probation should be that accused should keep away from certain people with whom he had been associating, as he had been in the habit tff visiting a house occupied by two girls, to which liquor had been taken, and staying there until the early hours of the morning. After hearing counsel, the magistrate said that accused's conduct was despicable. "To do as you have done," he said, "is the action of a cad. No decent man or boy would behave in such a way. The proper thing would be to send you to a Borstal Institute, but the police and Child Welfare Department take a more lenient view."

Accused was admitted to probation for two years, under conditions to be imposed by the probation officer.