"AMATEURS IN CRIME."

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19544, 14 February 1929, Page 3

"AMATEURS IN CRIME."

WESTFIELD HOLD-UP. PRISONERS SENTENCED. LTHE P&BSS BjwcUi Service.] AUCKLAND, February 13. Described by his Honour Mr Justice Biair as "amateur highwaymen," the two men concerned in the Westfield hold-up, who, replete with revolvers and maak, stopped a car-load of jockeys and a lady returning from the Te Kuiti races early on® morning, stood in the dock in the Supreme Court this morning, to hear their Rente noe.

David McKenaie Stewart, aliaa Stoner, aged 27, and Roy Patrick Kitching, alias Newman, aged 20. were the men.

Both bad pleaded guilty to attempted robbery under arms, and Stewart had also admitted obtaining money by false pretences. Both prisoners were sentenced to one year's reformative detention on the attempted robbery under arms ch&rge, and Stewart was sentenced to a further cix months on the charge of obtaining money by false presences. In making his plea on behalf of Kitching, Mr W. H. Cocker said the affair had certain Gilbertian touches. Both prisoners were thoroughly frightened and they allowed several cars tb; pass before thev had the courage to hold one <ip. The shooting was entirely accidental. Mr Leary, who appeared for Stow art, said their procedure was the weakest imaginable. They blocked tho road at Westfield with a "Stop, look out for the engine J" sign and a hurricane lamp. This was not total ehstruction. and several motorists.* amid many maledictions, managed to pasa it. "Frightened in the first place, courage now began to ooae out of their boots." said Mr Leary "Their nerve was broken and they held a council of war to nee whether they would iro on with the hold-up or not. They decided to try one more car.'" "I have very carefully considered the representntions of counsel, said his Honour. "The case is not one in which I can grant probation. I think both men were amateurs in crime and did it more or 'ess on the spur of the moment, but from the point of vtew of the people held up, it was a premeditated attempt at highway robbery, t propose to eive you both terms ot - formative detention but even then I have some donbt whether T ain , too lenient. You both reou.re sharp lessons and I would be failing in duty, if I did not give it to vou. Yon will both lie sentenced to '* reformative detention. will serve an extra six months on the other count, to which he pleaded guilty."'