TRUST BETRAYED

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 50, 22 November 1930, Page 12

TRUST BETRAYED

Prisoner Leaves Camp

SEVEN MONTHS’ LIBERTY

Dominion v Special Service. Auckland, November 21. After enjoying his liberty for seven months, John Mahuta Parker, labourer, aged 29, who was recaptured early this week, appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court, this morning, charged with escaping from Waikune prison camp, and with stealing a cheque for £7/5/- at Waihi on November 18. Mr. Noble represented Parker, who admitted both charges, and who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in addition to what remained when he escaped. Detective-Sergeant Kelly said Parker had been sentenced in November of 1929, and he was first imprisoned at Mount Eden gaol, but on February 26 he was transferred to a prison camp at Erua, near National Park. The prisoners at this camp were trusted. Parker betrayed this trust, and placed the other inmates and officials at the prison camp ait a great disadvantage. Immediately he escaped last April all gangs were called in, and the warders, instead of attending to their work, had to go out and search for him night and day.. “This calls for some punishment,” said Mr. Kelly. The Recapture. Parker had been at large for seven months, continued Mr. Kelly. On November 18 he went into a shop at Waihi, in which town he was born, and commenced talking to the shopkeeper. While the proprietor had his back turned, he stole a cheque for £7/5/-, and disappeared. The cheque was handed to a service car driver in payment of Parker’s fare to Hamilton. “The car driver,” said Mr. Kelly, “knew Parker was ‘crook,’ and got into touch with the shopkeeper about the cheque, with the result that Parker was later arrested on a service car bound for Auckland. He obtained £6/10/- as change out of the cheque, and he had £3 odd on him when arrested. I think it is only right that this money should be refunded to the man who suffered.” Mr. Noble: It may not be part of the money he obtained from the cheque. Mr. Kelly: Parker himself says it is. Detective-Sergeant Kelly said, further, that Parker had a long list of previous and that it appeared .as though he intended to follow a criminal career. “He said when arrested that he intended to leave New Zealand, and start life afresh in some country. All I can say is that it was a great pity he never got away.” Solicitor’s Fees. Mr. Noble said Parker, by reason of his record, had great difficulty in obtaining employment. ‘ The proverb ‘Necessity knows no law’ is appropriate in Parker’s case,” added Mr. Noble. ‘This man was very hard up. He had no job to go to, and he was practically starving when he took the cheque.” Counsel objected to £3/14/6, which was found on Parker at the time of his arrest, being returned. He said accused had assigned that, amount to him. Mr. Hunt sentenced accused to six months’ imprisonment additional to the remaining two years and seven months he still had to serve when he escaped. The magistrate made an order that £2 13/6 be returned to the shopkeeper victimised by Parker. “You will , get a guinea out of if,” he told Mr. Noble.