“JOY RIDER” CAUGHT

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 286, 17 August 1926, Page 5

“JOY RIDER” CAUGHT

MANY CHARGES PREFERRED YOUTH SENT TO BORSTAL INSTITUTE

Roy Davis Belt, a lead liner (aged 17), stood in the dock in the Magistrate’s Court yesteiday and pleaded guilty to converting nine motor-cars and one motor-cycle to his own use, but not in a planner suggesting the intent of theft. The vehicles in all were valued at £3105. Chief-Detective Ward stated that, accused with another youth would take a car from a parking place in the city and drive around the town and the bays. Some of the machines had been seriously damaged as a result of Belt’s action. The vehicles were removed from various parking places between June 26 and July 10. When driving one of the machines on the latter date accused noticed the owner of the car, who chased up the street and jumped on the footboard. As the vehicle was a sedan and the door was locked, the owner could not enter. Accused knowing this, tried to run the vehicle up against a post so as to brush the owner off. He also opened the throttle, the result being that the car crashed into a post and sustained damage amounting to £175. Another vehicle accused had commandeered was damaged to the extent of £4O. When arrested Belt had a skeleton key in his pocket, which he told the police he intended to do a few burglaries with. “Jumping from a car he had converted,” went on the chief detective, “the lad fell on his head and sustained severe injuries. Only this morning he was released from hospital, and the doctors say lie will have to be very careful with his head. A piece of his skull has been taken out, and there is no plate in it. The operation, I understand, was rather a severe one. Although Belt admits taking the car, he denies that he tried to knock the owner off the running board by brushing against a post.” In asking for probation, Mr. P. Keesing, who appeared for Belt, said that accused was not a really bad boy. His people would look after him and keep him under restraint if the Court would give him the chance. "The present charges came as a great shock to his family as they had no idea what he had been up to,” he said. Counsel stated also that the long illness in the hospital and the severe operation would probably teach his client a lesson to leave ail cars alone in future. “It is quite impossible for me to grant accused probation,” remarked Mr. E. Page, in convicting Belt. "He is quite young, but there are ten charges against him, and there is more than a suggestion that he tried to run one of the owners up against a post in order that he could get away.” } Accused was convicted and ordered to be detained in the Borstal Institute for three years on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent.