Three Boys Robbed By Youths

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32099, 22 September 1969, Page 16

Three Boys Robbed By Youths

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept. 21 Three teen-age boys were left lying face down in wet grass after being assaulted and robbed in a lonely spot in East Tamaki early this morning.

The boys say they were driven to the spot by three youths and robbed of more than $22 by their assailants, who then made off. The boys are Edward Pram, aged 13, Stephen Paul Nugent, aged 14, both of Onehunga, and Keith Barron, aged 15, of Point England. They were walking up Queen Street, Auckland, at 11.30 p.m. on Saturday looking for a taxi to take them home when a car pulled up beside them.

Edward Pram said today that three youths in the car were all aged about 18 or 19. “They asked us where we were going and we told them Onehunga. They told us to pile in the back and they would take us home. They stopped in Khyber Pass Road and gave some cheek to some police and then took off,” he said.

The three boys had a friend with them who asked to be let out in Otara. The youths stopped and let him out. Then they drove to East Tamaki. “They took us up a dirt road to some cattleyards and then stopped." “They said they had four transistor radios in the boot of their car. They told us they had stolen them and would sell them to us at $1 each. We told them we didn’t have any money with us but they made us turn out our pockets. “They took our money and then started hitting us. They stole $l7 from me, $5 from Keith Barron and 40c from Stenhen Nugent.” The boys were then pulled out of the car one at a time and punched and taunted with threats. The boys were marched across two yards and down a I hill.

Edward Pram continued: “They made us lie down on the grass and took our shoes and socks off. One of them then pulled his sleeves over his hands and carried our shoes and socks away and put them under a tree.” The assailants put their feet on the boys’ heads and rubbed them in the grass. “We were warned not to talk or even whisper. They then took off in their car. We got up, collected our footwear and walked about a mile to a house. “An old lady rang the police for us. It was about 2.30 in the morning by this time,” he said. The police searched the area but could find no sign of the three assailants who were still undiscovered tonight.