YOUTHS' ESCAPADE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 69, 18 September 1930, Page 6

YOUTHS' ESCAPADE

BURGLARIES AND THEFTS'

Within the space of a few days two young men Alfred Harold Ibell, aged 18, aud Horace Basil Fitzsimmons, aged 19, broke into two.shops, ono in Miramar and tho other in Houghton Bay, committed four, thefts, and converted two motor-ears to their own use. Tho vahic of the goods and money which they stole on those escapades amounted to £36.

In statements which the accused made to Detective Harding, and which he read, when the accused appeared in the Magistrate's' Court yesterday, they said that they had been living together, first in an unoccupied house at Miramar, and lately at the Salvation Army Hostel) and they had committed all the offences .together.

Sub-Inspeetojv. Ward said that three of the thefts had beeiu committed from motor-cars, and the fourth was money from--a shop iiit;'Miramar, one of the accused standing 'outside on guard while the other went behind tho counter and took the money. The offences had been committed between 6th and Bth September. One of the cars they had taken had been driven to Levin and back, and one had also been damaged to the extent of about £2. Fitzsimmons had been, released from the Borstal in Julyy 1929j where he had been serving a sentence of three years, imposed on hini.at Waihi in 1927 for theft. Ibell had also been discharged from the Borstal in 1929, having been sent therein 1927 on nine charges of theft .and jaischief.

"Both these young men have been in trouble before on more than one occasion, and they have previously been in the Borstal," Mr. E. Page, S.M., said, when .sentencing tho accused on the minor charges. On one of the theft charges they wore ordered to be detained for reformative purposes for a period not exceeding two years, and on the ..other, charges they were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within that time.

For breaking and entering and theft they were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.