FIVE CHARGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 193, 17 August 1939, Page 11

FIVE CHARGES.

CAR CONVERSIONS.

IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED. Pleading guilty to five charges of unlawfully converting cars to his own use, Clifford Leslie Whitbam, aged 18. was sentenced to one month's imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently, by Mr. J. S.M., in the Police Court to-day. Detec-tive-Sergeant McHugh prosecuted.

Detective McEwen produced a signed statement made by the accused in which he admitted that on June 24, July 2U. 27 and 31, and August 2, he had taken motor cars left by their owners in citv streets, on each occasion driving the car a short distance and then abandoning it. Detective-Sergeant M«Hurh said that accused was IS years of a'_re to-day, and was a married man with a wife and child. At one time he had been a ward of the State and on February 3 la=t he was placed upon probation for three years for the unlawful conversion of a motor cycle. Accused had also been in the Navy, but had deserted.

Mr. J. Anderson, probation officer, said there was little to say in favour of accused other than his age, and the fact that he was a married nun with a wife and one child.

His Worship said it was a very sad case. Accused had not profited by the lesson of the past and the only way to make him realise the seriousness of his acts was to give him some punishment. For these conversions you really should be given a long term of imprisonment," \ said his Worship, who then passed sell-#* tence of one month.