Second youth admits arson

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32967, 13 July 1972, Page 2

Second youth admits arson

(N.Z. Press Association} AUCKLAND, July 12. A second youth involved in the bombing of the U.T.A.-French Airlines office in Auckland admitted a charge of arson when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court today.

Jurisdiction was declined by Mr H. Rosen, S.M., who convicted and remanded Gregor John Mehaffey, aged 18, a sheetmetal worker, in custody for sentence in the Supreme Court.

Mehaffey, represented by Mr G. V. Hubble, elected trial by jury when he appeared three weeks ago, but today he changed his election.

Sergeant D. S. J. Butcher said damage of $25,000 was caused when the U.T.A. office was gutted by fire on June 20.

Early the next day Mehaffey was seen by the police. He began to talk of a motive, saying the French were polluting the atmosphere, and after talking at length on the subject he said he believed in positive action. Mehaffey said he was the rider of a motor-cycle seen leaving the area where the fire started, and had covered the licence plate. He talked about the whole thing being his idea, but he declined to say anything further. He was arrested. The sergeant said that the next day another youth was arrested and charged with

arson. Yesterday he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by the Children’s Court. Police inquiries showed that the fire bombing had been planned while Mehaffey was at this accomplice’s address. Mehaffey kept watch while his accomplice smashed the plate-glass window with a brick and threw in the firebomb.