CONVERSION OF CAR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22371, 7 April 1938, Page 9

CONVERSION OF CAR

NORWEGIANS CONVICTED AT LYTTELTON MEMBERS OF TANKER’S CREW Charges of converting a motor-car and .a motor-cycle to their own use were preferred against four members of the crew of the Norwegian tanker Noravind at the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The second charge was dismissed, and the men were convicted on the first charge. The accused were Henry Mikalsen, Harald Wammer, Thor Stub, and Arthur Martin Bakke Olsen. They pleaded guilty to a charge of converting a car valued at £l5O, the property of Neil Samuel Brookes, and not guilty to converting a motor-cycle, valued at £4O, the property of William John Harker.

Senior-Sergeant D. Wilson said that on Saturday night three of the men attended a dance in Lyttelton and Stub went to the pictures. Some time after midnight, Mikalsen took the car from where it was parked outside the Royal Hotel and drove it to Simeon quay, where he picked up the other three. They then drove up Voelas road, in West Lyttelton, and finding that it was a blind road, endeavoured to turn. In doing so they drove the car over the bank into a hut occupied by two men, employees of Miss L. Thompson, The two men assisted the accused in their efforts to get the car up the bank again. This was unsuc cessful and the four accused walked down the road. One of them took the motor-cycle and drove it down to Godley quay where it was left. The car was damaged to the extent of £l7 Bs.

After hearing evidence on the motorcycle charges the Magistrate dismissed the cases,-. For converting the motorcar, Olsen, .whose age was given as 17 years, was convicted and discharged. Each of the others was convicted and fined £2 and ordered to pay £5 16s, their share of the damage to the car, also 2s taxi fare.