PAHIATUA BURGLARY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 147, 19 December 1930, Page 13

PAHIATUA BURGLARY

THREE MEN SENTENCED "DANGEROUS TYPE OF CRIME"

The three young men who -were concerned in the burglary of the W.F.C.A. store at Pahiatua last month appeared for sentence before Mr. Justice Ostler in the Supremo Court to-day. They were: William Gladstone Thorns, Robert Meynell Calvert, and William Francis Calvert.

Appearing for Thorns, who had admitted eleven charges of breaking and entering and theft and three of theft, Mr. A. J. Mazengarb said that the prisoner had previously had a good record. All the offences were committed within two months. The case seemed to bo typical of tho evils of the hirepurchase system. Thorns bought a motor-car, but got out of work, and in order to keep up the payments he entered into business -with Robert Calvcrt without any capital. Finding difficulty in making ends meet, they committed theft, and encouraged by their success embarked on tho more serious type of offence. The great bulk of the goods had been recovered. Robert Calvert had not been in trouble before, said Mr. J. D. Willis. The fact that he had been in a benefit concert party for five years showed that there might be some good trait in him. Mr. .T. S. Hanna called evidence as to William Calvert's previous character, and said that although he was the oldest of tho three he was far less involved than the others. His lapse was a most unaccountable one.

"This species of crime to -which you have pleaded guilty, burglary with the aid of a motor-car, is a particularly dangerous type of crime to tho community rind extremely difficult- to detect," said his Honour. "Therefore, it seems to me that it is the duty of the Court, to do what it en a to nip this type of crime in the bud, and the only way to do that is to impose a substantial sentence."

Thorns was sentenced to reformative detention for a period not exceeding three years, and Bobert Calvert, who had admitted- a similar number of charges, to detention for a period not exceeding two years. William Calvert was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour on one charge of breaking and entering and theft.