ESCAPED PRISONER BEFORE COURT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19032, 21 June 1927, Page 16

ESCAPED PRISONER BEFORE COURT.

TWO MOTOR-CARS TAKEN. (SPECIAL 10 TEX PEESS.) GREYMOUTH, June 20. The sequel to the sensational disappearance of two motor-cars on the West Coast a few days ago was enacted at to-day's sitting of the Greymouth Magistrate's Court, when George Hui& Brewer, aged 21 years, appeared in custody before Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M. Brewer, who is a well-dressed youth of smart appearance, was charged on the following counts: (1) That on June Uth at Taipo he stolo a motor-car valued at £250, the property of Stanley Gray; (2) that he did unlawfully and without colour of right, but not so as to be guilty of theft convert the car to his own use; (3) that on June 10th at Greymouth he did unlawfully and without colour of right, but not so as to be guilty of theft, convert to his own use a motor-car valued at £2SU, the property of Thos. Learmont._ On the application of Detective Ji. C. Murch the first charge was withdrawn, and accused pleaded guilty to the second and third He was not represented by counsel. Evidence was given by Detective Murch to the effect that on May 25th accused escaped from custody at d" lington, where he was serving a gaol sentence of three years and a half for breaking, entering, and theft. H© arrived in Greymouth by steamer. _ On the night of June 10th he broke into Mr Tom Learmont's garage in Shakespeare street, and took his car ; driving it as far as Taipo. on the Christchurch road. While passing a shed there, Brewer noticed another oar of a similar type, owned by Mr Gray. He left Learmont's car in a shed, and drove away in that owned bv Gray, also taking eight gallons of benzine from a drum in the shed. He also made minor alterations to the car. with the object of escaping detection. He drove through to Westport, stayed there a few hours, and returned as far as C'ronadun. On the way from Westport he drove the car over a hank, and was nulled on to the road again by one of Newman's lorries. He was subsequently arrested in nossession of the car by Constable Hill, at Inangahua. The damage done to Gray's car when it went over the bank totalled £ls, but Lem-rnont's car was not damaged. When asked bv the Magistrate if he had anything to say, accused replied in the negative. The Magistrate stated that no consideration was due to accused, who was alreadv serving a sentence for what must have been regarded bv the Judge as a serious oa.se. otherwise he would have sentenced Brewer to Borstal treatment. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in Wellington orison, with hard labour, on each of the two charges, the sentences to be mmnlntire and served at the end of his present sentence. "You will also have to answer a further charge of escaping from gaol." added Mr Hewitt, "but- that is another matter."