"STUPID ACTIONS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 35, 11 February 1937, Page 5

"STUPID ACTIONS."

CARPENTER'S CRIMES. FRAUD AND THEFT CHARGES. TWELVE MONTHS' DETENTION. A voting carpenter who abused the leniency previously shown liim and committed a further series of offences was ilcalt with liy Mr. (K. Orr Walker. S.M., in the Police Court thin inoinin^. He was Henry Alston I've. a"ed '-'3. and lie pleaded puilty to l."> charges involviiio fiaud. false pretences ami theft. Klcveu of the charges were the orioiuiil charocs upon which he had liccn admitted to pi'oliation. Four new charjtes were lirouflllt- theft of a suit valued -it tti (i/. to Samuel Connors, on ■ lanuarv lit; from •lohn Duthie and Company, ou Xoxemher 111. carpenters' tools valued at .£H .*>/<». liy falsely representing he had a lil'idpe contract at Hicks Bay. Te Araroa; tiieft of a suitcase ami clothinjr valued al 17/4. on December 24. the pro|ierty of Kinest Frederick Baker: theft, on December 24. of £1. belonging; to Leslie Albert Stewart. Detective F. X. Aplin said he interviewed I've on February 0. I've made a statement admitting the four fresh charocs brought a»ainst him this mottling. to the charge of obtainin" canientciv' tools worth £H ."»/»» from John Duthie and Company. I've said that he had a chance of obtaining work on a larjre city bniblin«r in couive of erection, but had no tools. He admitted obtaining the tools by making a false representation that he had a bridge building contract at Hick's Bay. "After oettina the jol on the 1 tiildinjr in Auckland and lining the tools. I've pledged them for £3." said Detective Aplin.

Went On Pleasure Cruise. The detective added that I've left Auckland on January 10 on the four days' pleasure cruise of tlie Awn tea in the North. He lmrrowed a suit of clothe*, worth £(i (»/. from Samuel Connors, telling him that he wanted to «et his own suit cleaned. I've pawned his own suit in order to get *ome ready cash, and wore Connors' «siiit on the cruise. This suit he pawned on his return from the cruise. The suit had since been recovered. Detective-Sergeant J. Walsh. who prosecuted, said there was nothing he could say in l've's favour. "He is an ahle->hodicd young man who seems to be determined to live a life of theft and false pretences.'' said the detectivesergeant. "He was previously before the Court on eight charges of obtaining credit by fraud, when he was admitted to probation for two years and ordered to make restitution. He has practically ignored the terms of his probation. Transferred to Te l'uke lie j»ot into trouble there while still on probation, but lie was convicted and discharged. The lit most leniency has been shown bill! ill the past. Some of the chai'jes [ now preferred a"ain-t him were of a j rather mean order. On the instructions lof the probation officer I've wn< arrested on the eleven charges on which he was admitted to probation. He i~ now before the Court on four fresh dm rges." Mr. O'Donncll said Pve bad been a problem to his parents. He was the youngest of a large family. All the others were most respectable and decent members of the community. P.ve had received a pro|>er upbringing and there was no excuse for his conduct during the last two years. Kverything possible hail been done for him bv his parents. "But lie wii. persist in preying upon the credulitv of others." added Mr. O'Donncll.

last two years, r.veryi lung possum* nan j been done for him by his parents. "But I he wii. persist in preying upon the credulitv of others." added Mr. O'Donncll. Kumaras For Fronds. "There seefns to be a degree of irrespou-ibility about him which I think, is due to a mental condition. Some time ago he was examined by a specialist in nervous disorders. There lias always b"en little reason for his committing; the otlenees. There was never any attempt to commit deliberate theft and j then run away and hide. His whole act i> lis savoured of stupidity. For j instance, oil one occasion I've bought 111 | sacks of kumaras. booking them up to I his father, and then distributing them lamong his friends. On another occasion' j he suggested to a girl friend that -h«* | should give him lier frock to get dry-j l cleaned. He took it and had it dry! j cleaned, but was later unable to pay for! lit. Believing as I do that these offences' are in some way due to a mental condi- | tion. I do not think a term of iuiprisoni ment would help him. It might lie that a term of reformative detention would have the desired effect." The magistrate remarked that I've had been given every opportunity in the past, while he had also had the very | best of advise from his solicitor and his | parents. He had abused probation by I not complying with the terms and coit- | ditions of his release, and he had now | broken out afresh. "I am of the opinion | that having been helped by his people. | his solicitor and the Court, he now thinks he ( will !*> helped again. This sort of. thing cannot 20 on." On the charge of theft of the suit, P.ve was ordered to be detained for reformative purposes for twelve months, and on another count he was admitted to probation fr»r two years. He was convicted and discharged 011 the other two counts. "If there is any mental trouble it will now be found out." said Mr. Orr Walker. "Tt is a pity we haven't <rot a special place where he could be sent to find this out.*'