YOUTH INCITED TO CRIME

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 139, 8 March 1929, Page 12

YOUTH INCITED TO CRIME

GUILTY ON EIGHTEEN CHARGES AUNT “DANGEROUS IN ANY COMMUNITY” Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, March 7. An astounding story of crime and incitement to crime was revealed in the Children's Court this morning, when a seventeen-year-old boy pleaded guilty to eighteen charges of theft, of breaking, entering, and theft, and mischief, involving an amount of almost £lOO, and his aunt, Elsie Martha Dennis Wright, pleaded guilty to four charges of receiving the goods stolen by the child, well knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained. , , The circumstances outlined by the police revealed the fact that the boy was a daring thief, and that his aunt had egged him on in his crimes, and benefited by them. Wright was,convicted, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. The boy was placed under the care of the superintendent of child welfare, with a recommendation that he be sent to the Weraroa Training Farm. Although Wright’s case was heard in the Children’s Court in conjunction with that against the boy. the Magistrate (Mr. E. D. Mosley) afterwards gave permission for the name to be published. Chief-Detective Carroll said that there were eighteen charges against the boy. Nine were of breaking, entering, and theft, eight were of plain theft, and one of mischief. The total value of the goods and money stolen was £9S, and of that £74 worth had been recovered. The boy has been operating for some time.” said the chief detective, “and nothing has been safe from him. He would go into a shop, and while the proprietor’s back was turned, he would, under cover of the noise of a passing tramcar, rob the tills. He would take goods—anything that could be sold. He was particularly daring In his breaking and entering. On one occasion he broke into a house when the man of the house was outside fixing up some horses, and the man came into the house while the boy was still in it. He hid under a bed until the man had locked up and gone, and then completed the theft of about £2 and broke his way out again. , , „ ~ “Mrs. Wright is the boy’s aunt,’ said the detective. “The boy has been stealing for her. He told his .parents he was at work, but every morning at seven he went to his aunt’s house and would use it as a base for his operations. He would go back to his own home nt about 6 o’clock. Each week he would give his parents ten shillings, allegedly wages, but in reality the proceeds of some robbeThe son of the female accused, a mere child who stood and smiled before the Magistrate, was formally charged on one C °The chief-detective explained that the boy would not have been charged, but it was thought desirable that he should be brought under, the jurisdictioni of the child welfare superintendent. He bad merely accompanied the elder boy on one or two of his excursions. “The case against the female accused is especially serious," said the chief-de-tective. “because she has been encouraging the boy to steal and would probably have extended that to her own son “What is known of the father, asked th “He a ?s St a at simple type of man,” said then sentenced the bov “The little boy is also committed to y the care of the child welfare superintendent ” said the Magistrate, “though, of course, in n totally with another idea in view. The mot is most certainly not a fit and proner person to look after any child. She is dangerous in any community and should be nut out of the way. She is ■ sen fenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour.”