THREE MONTHS' GAOL

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 101, 26 October 1934, Page 10

THREE MONTHS' GAOL

CONVERSION OF A CAR

The story of a midnight chase through tho streets of the city after a converted car was told in the Magistrate's Court today, when Ronald Tony Cowan, aged 23, an electrical engineer, was charged with converting to his own use a car valued at £400, the property of F. C. Holmes. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment by Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M.

Early on the evening of October 22, said Senior-Sergeant J. A. Dpmpsey, Mr. Holmes parked his ear in "Wakefield Street, and when ho returned at 11,15 p.m. the vehicle was missing. Ten minutes after midnight Constable Godfrey saw a car of the same description stop-in Courtenay Place, and a girl got out. The car went on and the constablo chased -it in a taxi, but the car was driven furiously away down Jorvois Quay and was lost. Later in the morning it was found in the vicinity of the G.P.O. Constable Godfrey continued his inquiry, said the seniorsergeant, and yesterday questioned the accused, who acknowledged that he had taken the car. In a statement the accused said he took-it on tho spur of tho moment. Ho drove to a dance hall in Hataitai and remained there until 11.50 p.m., when ho drove two girls home and then left the car near the Post Office. Tho senior-sergeant said that Cowan had previously appeared before tho Court. Cowan said that the car was un- j locked. He denied driving furiously' away from the constable, saying that his speed was only 20 or 25 mijes an hour.