THEFT OF SHELL FUSES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29336, 15 October 1960, Page 16

THEFT OF SHELL FUSES

Boys Admonished And Discharged (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 14. After illegally entering the Army’s ammunition field storage area at Belmont and stealing six shell fuse heads, three youths had defused one of the heads in the midst of 10,000 unexplored shells, it was stated in the Children’s Court at Lower Hutit. The boys, two aged 16 and one aged 17, admitted the theft and were admonished and discharged by Mr A. A. Coates, S.M. The police prosecutor (Senior Detective-Sergeant E. G. A. Rippin) said the boys stole the fuses from the ammunition dump on September 24. When it was discovered the missing shell fuses were very dangerous, newspaper and radio warnings were issued and after the parents of the boys became aware of the danger, they took the boys to the Lower Hutt police station.

The boys admitted stealing the fuses from the area on September 24 and after dismantling one amongst the live ammunition, took the fuses to their homes and showed them to their parents. “I don’t need to impress on you how serious your actions were. You cduld all have been badly injured—perhaps killed and others might have been in the vicinity,” said the Magistrate.