Rail journey by sail

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33276, 13 July 1973, Page 3

Rail journey by sail

C.V.Z. Press Association) BLENHEIM, July 12. Three youths sick of hitch-hiking fitted a makeshift sail on a Railways flat-top trolley and sailed off down the Marlborough east coast line, the Magistrate’s Court was told in Blenheim today. Thej' covered about six smiles from Lake Grassmere to Ward, where they commandeered a motor-jigger and travelled another 30 miles before abandoning it when a train came down the track. Stephen Tarewai Apes, ( aged 18, of Inder Street,

Halsweil, today changed his pleas to guilty on four charges arising from the inp cident, last April 22. Apes, who in Christchurch 1 earlier had pleaded not guilty: - and elected trial by jury, was: j| today fined $25 on each > charge by Mr J. W. P. Watts, 'S.M. 1 The two other youths were' ’ dealt with some time earlier j - in the Children’s Court, one being fined similarly, and the! other being sent to a deten- < tion centre. e Apes was represented by Mr B. P. Dwyer. The case was ‘ set down for the taking of r depositions, but when the 0 charges were read again, he t changed his pleas and elece ted to be dealt with by a Magistrate. 5, Sergeant A E. K. Keown t,lsaid that after Apes and the

1 other two abandoned the jigger 12 miles south of Kekerengu, they returned to the road. They were apprehended trying to hitch-hike [to Christchurch. When spoken to about the incident, Apes said he was sick of walking, said Sergeant Keown. Counsel said Apes was a party only, as he followed the others in the offences. He did not break into the shed to get the jigger, but did • help to get it started. Apes was now settled into • steady employment and hoped to settle down. The Magistrate said to Apes: “You’ve got too long a • list of convictions even to be tagging along . . . consider • yourself lucky you’re not Agoing to gaol.”