Youth had ‘orgy of crime’

Press, 2 September 1981, Page 11

Youth had ‘orgy of crime’

PA Auckland A youth who had stolen a Rolls-Royce car had embarked on an orgy of crime and was on the verge of becoming a dangerous and desperate criminal, said Judge Hall in the District Court at Auckland. The youth, Abel Jaye Wira, aged 17, unemployed, of no fixed address, was appearing for sentencing after having pleaded guilty to a charge of escaping lawful custody, 15 charges of unlawfully taking motor-vehicles, 10 of breaking and entering, and one of stealing a cash register and $350 in cash.

The 1 Judge said that Wira had escaped from the. Dis-

trict Court at Kaitaia after having been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. Wira had been at liberty from June 3 to July 21 and during that time had embarked on an orgy of crime in which he had been responsible for the moving of property valued at $138,000. Some of the offences were most sinister in nature, including the theft of two rifles and two shotguns from an Orakei house. Another theft had been at a dairy, where the solo woman owner had been intimidated and the cash register had been wrenched off its base and removed. Wira’s theft of a $90,000

Rolls-Royce had led to his apprehension.

Counsel for Wira, Mr Howard Smith, asked that the Court consider Wira’s cooperation with the police.

The Judge sentenced Wira to six months jail on the escaping charge, 12 months jail on each theft charge, two years jail on each burglary charge, and nine months jail, on each charge of taking a motor-vehicle.

The sentences wre to be served concurrently with the two years jail but added to an 18-month sentence imposed by the court at Kaitaia.