Three Years’ Gaol For 16-Year-Old

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 5

Three Years’ Gaol For 16-Year-Old

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 20. A 16-year-old workman who had pleaded guiltv to a charge of aggravated robbery might r "? ve ,^ een in the dock for murder, the Chief Justice (Sir Harod Barrowclough) said in the Supreme Court today. He setenced the youth to a total of three years’ imprisonment.

The youth pleaded guilty In the Children’s Court last week to a charge that, being armed with an offensive weapon, a steel bar he assaulted Doo Ken Chin'with intent to rob. He had pleaded guilty also to two charges involving burglary and unlawfully taking a car and had been committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Mr M. Hardie Boys appeared for the youth and Mr W. R. Birks for the Crown. His Honour said that in the past the youth had not been checked because he had not been punished enough. On his first Court appearance he had been charged with theft and burglary, involving a transistor radio and a model plane, neither of which had been recovered. The second time, he had stolen a transistor which had been recovered, but the crime had cost him nothing. On the third occasion he had been fined £2O. but had made no effort to pay.

Not Appropriate “You are now charged with a very serious offence and it is fortunate you did not kill or seriously injure your victim.”

His Honour said he was satisfied Borstal was not the appropriate penalty and still

more convinced that a detention centre was not appropriate.

“I have considered very carefully the provision in the statute that precludes me from sending one of your age to prison except in very special circumstances.

“Having regard to your past history and to all the circumstances of the case, I am satisfied that I must, in your own interests, as well as in the interests of the public, send you to prison,” he said.