Boy, 5½, in fire gang

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32975, 22 July 1972, Page 3

Boy, 5½, in fire gang

(N.Z. Press Association) ; AUCKLAND. July 21. Three children, one of (whom was aged five years and a half, climbed into a Mangere primary school last Monday and lit a fire which caused $45,000 damage. Sergeant A. W. Tremewan said in the Children’s Court in Otahuhu today. Sergeant Tremewan said (the boys tipped a gallon of : white spirit into a smaller container in a classroom of ithe Viscount Road Primary School, spilt the fuel over furniture and floors, and then' (one lit a match. I The mother of two boys, aged seven and nine, admitted having the custody (of children not under proper ‘control. Mr K. L. Richardson. S.M., remanded them until July 28 in the custody of the Social Welfare Department for a report. I The third boy was also,

remanded in the custody of' the department. The grandmother of the ' boy entered no plea to a /charge of having the custody: ' of a boy not under proper > control. ! Counsel. Mr J. Hendrikse, said the boy’s parents had k separated. The grandmother ■ had been looking after the 1 boy since Christmas; she . worked during the day. , Sergeant Tremewan said a boy and two others were ' spoken to by the police last Tuesday. They had played on school equipment last ! Monday, which was a school' holiday. “ When passing a classroom, one boy noticed a window ' open. He climbed in, opened ’ the door and all went inside. l >One found a gallon tin of white spirits. The sergeant said the fuel: . was spilt over chairs and the ’ floor while being poured into ■ a smaller tin. The tin was carried to a work bench , where more white spirits was ! spilt. One boy took a match [ from a box and lit it on the 1 floor. Flames shot to the ceiling which caught fire. At i;3 pm. the Mangere Fire

Brigade was called to the school. None of the boys could say who lit the fire, and they told the police they did not want the school to burn down. The mother asked the Magistrate for help with one boy whom, she said, had been in hospital two years ago. She said friends of the boy, had noted he was sometimes vacant and seemed not res-: ponsible for what he said.