Men Took Engine And Set Car Afire

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31449, 16 August 1967, Page 13

Men Took Engine And Set Car Afire

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, August 15.

Two young men whom the police said removed the engine, gearbox and drive-shaft from a car and then set the vehicle on fire appeared for sentence before Mr W. J. Meade, S.M., at Otahuhu yesterday.

Stephen Kenneth Fong, aged 22, a truck driver, pleaded guilty last week to charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and arson. The Magistrate admitted him to probation for three years and ordered him to make restitution of $1066. On the charge of arson he was convicted and fined $2OO, to be paid as directed by the probation officer. Wayne Richard Quedley, aged 22, married, an unemployed motor mechanic, had pleaded guilty to taking the car but not guilty to arson. He has been remanded to August 24 on the arson; charge. On the other charge he was admitted to three years' probation with conditions that he dispense with any motor vehicle as directed by the probation officer, the money to go towards $7OO for restitution. The men were ordered not to associate with each other. Senior-Sergeant G. W. Wilson, told the Court last week that on May 28 the accused drove into a used car parking lot belonging to Lees Brothers (Papakura), Ltd., and took a 1963 Ford Zephyr Zodiac. They towed it behind Quedley’s van to a back street where they started it Fong then drove to a deserted area in East Tamaki where they removed the motor, gearbox and drive shaft, which they put in the van.

They towed the car to a quarry and set it on fire. The prosecutor said the car was valued at $2190. The recovered property was valued at $594.12.

The Magistrate told Quedley he was being given a

chance for the sake of his wife and unborn child.

He told Fong that though he did not get anything out of the incident he was equally Involved in the theft