Boy stole 29 cars and seven motor-cycles

Press, 10 May 1980, Page 4

Boy stole 29 cars and seven motor-cycles

A boy, aged 15. who 'admitted converting 29 cars: and seven motor-cycles, to ai (total value of $86,000, was; [sentenced to Borstal training ■ when he appeared for sen-i [tence in the’ District Court: before Judge Bradford (yesterday. i I The boy admitted the 36) (charges of conversion andj 18 charges of theft of pro-1 perty from' the vehicle! amounting to $9313. when) he appeared in the Children: and Young. Persons Court, yesterday morning. ■ Compensation sought from the boy was. $13,102. The amount of damage to the converted vehicles was $1789. i In explanation to. the' police the boy; said he had stolen the property anywhere he could in order to obtain money. ; When arrested the defend-, ant. had a large number of car keys in his possession. The Judge said one could have little sympathy for the defendant. | The defendant had a dis-! turbing criminal record for a iboy of his age. ) it was apparent that he had no respect for the propertv of others. In addition to Borstal: training the Judge dis-, qualified the defendant from holding or obtaining driver’s licence for four years. ■ Counsel (Mr G. H. Nation): said the defendant was one: of a number of offenders involved in a spate of car conversions, some of whom had. still not been apprehended. ■ The defendant, he said, had co-operated fully with; the police and although the; goods taken from vehicles! were of considerable value, the defendant had only re-: ceived in all about $350. ' DRUG CHARGE ( An unemployed butcher j charged with possessing heroin for supply was further, remanded to May 16. ) No plea was entered by! Wayne Roger. Egger, aged: 24. The alleged offence was I.

t.'said to have occurred on| l. : i Counsel (Mr K. N. Ham-1 . Ipton) said bail of $2000,1 (with two sureties of the! ■ same amount, and daily,re-; porting to the police was. [:granted earlier in the High) .Court. The continuation of the' (bail was granted by the; [Judge. j ! RECEIVED RINGS I Neil Matthew Schroder) iaged 18, unemployed, who) 'admitted a charge of receiv-i ■ing five rings, to a total) lvalue of $4.10, was convicted! and remanded in custody to May 23 for a probation report and sentence. i Schroder was also convicted and remanded to the same date for sentence on one charge of stealing six) 'car bodies, valued at s3B,> ;the property of the N.Z. I (Railways and with breaking) 'and entering a London: (Street service station in Lyt-| tel ton. Sergeant M. W. Atkinson, isaid that on April 23 a jew-| eller’s shop was burgled with: gold and silver rings to a) total value of $l5OO taken. ( On April 29. a search war-i rant was executed at the defendant’s address where (the five rings were found. T. ey were identified as coming from the burgled shop. During the search six car identification badges were found. Schroder said he had :taken them off new vehicles) :awaiting delivery at the rail-; ■way yards. He said he kept) them because they looked' .nice, said Sergeant Atkinson. ; Schroder had told the 'police that he had obtained) ■ the rings from a friend. He! : had intended to sell four; 'and keep one. In explanation’ the defendant said he needed (some money. i Sergeant Atkinson said; 'with reference to the service; | station ..burglary that Schro-) ’der had been seen to pick: , up a rubbish tin which he ; [used to smash a window. ' He left the service station ■with a battery under his (arm but he dropped it when; (running off._ j

11 The battery was beyond ■ repair and compensation of ($B2 was sought. The defendlarit said the battery was intended for a friend. ; He was located by a police dog. I INDECENCY CHARGE | Joseph Edward Paul Jones, (aged 65, a retired teacher, 'charged with indecently assaulting a girl, aged four i years and six months, was (further remanded in custody Ito May 30. 'I The alleged offence was • said to have been committed Jin February at Hawera. ': While in custody at Sunnyside Hospital the defendant will be psychiatrically examined. ! THEFT'ADMITTED 1 A baker convicted of I stealing assorted groceries ’(and foodstuffs, worth $477, I the property of his employler, was remanded to May 23 (for a probation report and 'sentence. The man, who was granted interim suppression of I his name, was allowed bail '{of $BOO. He had pleaded [guilty to the charge. j Sergeant Atkinson said the . theft was noticed after the . complainant firm carried out ' stocktaking of baking materials and found some items unaccounted for. A search warrant was exe- : cuted at the home of the . defendant and there grocer•jies and foodstuffs, valued at $382, were recovered. : Sergeant Atkinson said the defendant, who had been employed by the firm for ■two years, had explained (that he had financial diffi(culties. I The offence took place on or about January 28. ■ Another baker, Wayne I Michael Hawker, aged 22, iwas remanded on bail with-) lout plea to May 16 on a, (charge of stealing groceries and foodstuffs, valued at $477, from the same employer. The alleged offence is. said to have occurred on or about JanuaryJlO. ,