Boy Stole Vehicles To Help Escapers

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30120, 2 May 1963, Page 14

Boy Stole Vehicles To Help Escapers

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 1.

Pleading guilty to the theft of cars and other property, to a total value of £3557 19s, as well as other offences, a 15-year-old boy was remanded in custody till May X for sentence by Mr R. D. Jamieson, S.M., in the Children’s Court at Wellington today.

The boy, who was represented by Mr D. S. Castle, admitted two charges of burglary, the theft of two cars each valued at £llOO, receiving clothing to a total value of £52 2s 6d, the theft of a car valued at £ll3O. and assisting Joseph William Coulter and Raymond Hopewell to escape from Mt. Crawford Prison on March 10. Detective-Sergeant R. L. Wilks said one of the cars was found in an alley in the city with its upholstery slashed and its interior and exterior damaged. The other was found on the Wainui-o-mata hill in a similar condition. It had a door missing. The boy had an older accomplice to help him steal the cars. In one case, when explosives were used in the course of one of the burglary offences, the boy had left the building involved before the charge went off. Some of the property stolen had been found at the older man’s home and at his business premises.

Detective-Sergeant Wilks said that the manner in which the escapers left the prison suggested they had outside help, and it was later found that before their escape the boy had twice visited the prison.

Coulter had told the boy they were thinking of escaping and that they needed a car.

Later, the boy and an

accomplice waited in a prearranged place with a car for the escapers to arrive On the first couple of occasions they failed to appear, but they later arrived and were taken to a house at Petone During their stay there the boy brought them food and clothing. Mr Castle asked the Magistrate to look at the case .■ in the light of a 15-year-old boy being influenced by others. In all the charges the boy had been involved with others, except on the receiving charge. Mr Castle suggested the boy had treated the escape more as an adventure than anything else. In bringing the escapers food and clothing, the boy, like several others, had been under considerable pressure from the escapers This accounted for some of his actions.