“A PEST TO SOCIETY”

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30076, 9 March 1963, Page 18

“A PEST TO SOCIETY”

Three Years’ Gaol

The prisoner had been led on to commit the offences by others who were known to be hardened criminals. He was not going to "chicken out” when the offences were committed, said Mr A. R. Cottrell, counsel for John Simon Edwards, aged 24, a workman, who appeared for sentence before Mr Justice Macarthur in the Supreme Court yesterday. Earlier this month, Edwards was found guilty of receiving a transistor radio valued at £25, and of burglary at the Waipara Garage on October 25. “The prisoner received very little from these offences—only one old transistor radio,” said Mr Cottrell. His Honour: Maybe, but he has been a pest to society, hasn’t he? Look at his record. Mr Cottrell submitted that the prisoner had been stupid and had gone along with others only for excitement. His Honour: It was worse than that

For the Crown, Mr C. M. Roper said that Edwards had developed into a bad criminal. A bad feature was that at the time of the offences he was on bail on other charges. “You are already serving a term of 12 months’ imprisonment imposed last November,” said his Honour to Edwards. “Your previous sentences of a lenient character do not appear to have taught you the lesson that you should keep out of trouble.” His Honour sentenced Edwards to three years’ imprisonment on the charge of burglary, and six months’ imprisonment on the receiving charge, the sentences to be served concurrently. He warned Edwards that when he attained the age of 25, he would be liable for an indefinite term of preventive detention if he- came before the Court again.