YOUTHS FACE NINE CHARGES

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28256, 18 April 1957, Page 14

YOUTHS FACE NINE CHARGES

Trip From Auckland To Timaru (New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU, April 17. How two 16-year-old Auckland youths had embarked on a whirlwind but short-lived career of crime was described by Detec-tive-Sergeant J. A. Marshall to Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Timaru Children’s Court when he prosecuted the offenders on five joint charges of shop and housebreaking and four joint charges of unlawful conversion of motor vehicles.

The youths were sent to Borstal for a period not exceeding three years. The shop and housebreaking offences had taken place at Matamata, Tirau, Tokoroa, Winchester, and Washdyke, said DetectiveSergeant Marshall. The motor vehicles had been unlawfully converted at Auckland, Papatoetoe. Christchurch, and Ashburton. ‘‘The youths converted a motorcar at Auckland on March 28, drove it to Manurewa, where they abandoned it after converting another late-model car from Papatoetoe,” Detective-Sergeant Marshall said.

‘‘They drove to Paekakariki and abandoned it, committing shopbreaking offences en route. They crossed from Wellington on the ferry steamer on March 29. The next day they converted two motor-cycles at Christchurch and rode to Ashburton. There they converted another car to continue their journey south. They committed breaking and entering offences at Winchester and Washdyke.” The youths had been arrested at 2 a.m. on March 31 by a police patrol at Timaru. “During 48 hours the youths were responsible for expenses and damages totalling £712,” said Detective-Sergeant Marshall.