Supreme Court Young Man Gaoled For Thefts Involving £30

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 21

Supreme Court Young Man Gaoled For Thefts Involving £30

A regrettable feature of 1 thefts committed by Law-| rence William Ayers, aged 21, was that he had stolen from premises where he had formerly worked: he had ■ ken advantage of knowledge acquired in his employment to steal goods valued at £3O 10s. said Mr Justice Richmond in the Supreme Court yesterday. Sentencing Ayers to six months' imprisonment, his Honour said he had no alternative but to impose a prison term because of Ayers’s previous record, but he was making the sentence far less than he felt he should. Ayers, who was appearing on remand from the Magistrate's Court on charges of theft of a radio valued at £25 from the Christchurch Milk Company Social Club on May 26. and theft of liquor valued at £5 10s from Quill, Morris. Ltd., on August 3. had pleaded not guilty and had been committed to the Supreme Court for trial. He changed his pleas to guilty yesterday, when he appeared for sentence. On the charge of theft of the radio a term of six months’ gaol was imposed, and three months’ imprisonment was imposed on the other charge. The terms are to be concurrent, and followed by a year’s probation. Ayers was represented by Mr J. G. Hutchison, and Mr N. W. Williamson appeared for the Crown. Mr Hutchison said that Ayers had built up an extremely long and formidable list of convictions. At first sight it appeared there were no redeeming features, and that he was quite incorrigible. However, Ayers had never had a chance and was put in a foster home at the age of one month. He had a bitter and wretched home life and childhood, and when he later returned to his mother's home he was subjected to the cruelty of a drunken and bullying stepfather.

He was sentenced to Borstal at 17, but it was quite obvious institutional training never really “got into him’’ and he became the perfect psychological case of a young tough, who felt unwanted. He had no-one 16 turn to, and took increasingly to committing childish acts of vandalism, including painting the totem pole in Hagley Park. Mr Hutchison said the accused needed, more than anthing else. help, care, and understanding. A short prison term followed by a full term of probation would give him the help he needed to take a decent place in society. A long term of imprisonment would finish him altogether, and he would emerge harder, more bitter, and more uncooperative Mr Wilkinson said charges of resisting the police, and assaulting a police officer, were pending against the accused in the Magistrate's Court They allegedly arose from the same circumstances as the present thefts. For his age the accused had a big list ot convictions; but the probation officer considered be was still capable of reform. His Honour told the accused he could not expect lenient sentences every time he came before the Court. He would now have to consider how he would spend the rest of his life if he kept to the conduct be had in the past. "I hope you will appreciate that th* sentence imposed is to try to encourage you. while also recognising that I am trying to protect the public,’* his Honour said.