VARIED GRIMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 159, 8 July 1935, Page 8

VARIED GRIMES.

YOUTHS , ESCAPADES.

CAR CONVERSION, THEFT.

MANY CHARGES ADMITTED. Many charges of car conversion, theft, breaking and entering, and thefts from suburban letter boxes were admitted by four yout.'is who appeared before Mr. W. K. McK.ean, S.M., in tho Police Court this morning. They were described by the police as laving led a life of crime for the past two months. On several charges they "were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, and on several summary charges they were remanded until after they have been dealt with by the Supremo Court. Twenty charges were faced by the youths. Alvin Henry "Wilson, a garage assistant, aged 17, pleaded guilty to six charges of car conversion, one of breaking, entering and theft and two of attempted breaking and entering. Huia Anzac Oglesby, a boxmaker, aged 17, admitted seven charges of car conversion, one of breaking, entering and theft, one of attempted breaking and entering, seven charges of theft and one of mischief. James Frederick Nicholas Coughey, a gardener, aged 19, pleaded guilty to four charges of car conversion, two of breaking, entering and theft, two of attempted breaking and entering, and one of theft. Arthur Francis Kavanagh, a farm hand, aged 22, admitted one chaTge of car conversion, one of mischief, 16 of theft, and one of attempted breaking and ■ entering. ■ Detective-Sergeant A. G. McHugh. prosecuted. . Wilson ■ represented by Mr. John, Terry, and the three other accused, -were defended by Mr. EL. :C. Aekins. Arrest Follows Crash. Detective-Sergeant McHugh, in dealing with the summary charges against accused, said that a motor car was stolen from Wellesley Street on the night of June 27. It was later involved in a collision near Graf ton Bridge. Tho occupants could not be found after the sollision, having run away. The foliow> ,ng day all four offenders were arrested and subsequent. inquiries proved -that the accused. Wilson, Oglesby and <Joughey, had been .unlawfully .converting motor cars for the past two months. During the; time' they had stolen cars 3i their possession they committed other terious offences.

"Kavanagh was associated with Wilion and Oglesby during the' conversion of only one car, but several serious crimes were committed while he> waa in .rheir company," said Mr. McHugh. "'Kavanagh is 22 years, of age, living with, his widowed mother at Newton. He is a farm hand; but has been out of work for some time. He has previous convictions. Coughey is 19. He is a gardener-labourer-in-casual employment and lives with his , mother at Newton. Oglesby is 17 and unemployed. He has been discharged from his last two positions. Wilson is 17 and is in good employment. He lives with his parents at Mount Eden. Nothing is known about the history of Coughey, Wilson or Kavanagh, but police inquiries into recent offences lave proved that for some considerable time they have been leading a life of crime." Attempted "Hold-up? On the indictable charges several witnesses told of how they had locked their premises at night, only to find on arrival the next morning that they had been 'broken into. City warehouses and suburban shops were among the places raided by the gang. A story of an attempted hold-up was told by Cyril James Mitchell, a grocer, of 2, Pine Road, Grey Lynn v He said it was his practice to take his money home with him every night. He travelled to and fro by motor car. On the evening of May 31 he closed his shop at nine o'clock and left to go home about 9.40. As he walked out bf his shop he saw a car pull np on the opposite side of the street. He saw two men standing by the gate which leads to the back of his shop. After he had got his car out of the yard he went to close the gates and noticed two men retire tyick into the shade. "I took the precaution then to prevent ray being rushed in case there was any funny business," said witness. "I kept close to the building. As I got into the car and drove out of the yard two men rushed at me, one on either side of the car. I grabbed one ■by the tie and collar and called for help. Both men then ran towards their car. I had a roll of £12 in notes. It ,was noj; long before a group of people came in answer to my cries. The men drove away. I cannot identify any of the mien.in Court to-day." Cross-examined, witness said he was not aware of any of the men having a weapon. They did not speak. _ Evidence was given by Detectives C. E. Brown and F. N. Aplin, who arrested the quartet: At Oglesby's home they found a jemmy which accused said had been used on several jobs. Oglesby had also admitted breaking open letter boxes, the- detectives produced seven statements made by the four accused in which they admitted the charges. They admitted that they had been chased by a constable in" Cook Street, one night after they had attempted to break into a warehouse. _ They had eluded him, ind gone home. After pleading guilty to all charges, iccused were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was refused. They will come before the Police Court ljrain on the summary charges, after "hey have been sentenced in the Supreme 7onrt, probably on July 22.