TWO CARS TAKEN

Evening Star, Issue 23175, 26 January 1939, Page 9

TWO CARS TAKEN

SIX MONTHS FOR CONVERSION COUNSEL ON DUTY OF OWNERS The conversion of two cars by Edward Edwin M’Laren (29), who was described by Mr J. R. Eartholomew, S.M., as a person who had no regard at all for other persons’ property, judged by his lengthy .list of previous convictions for similar offences and also for theft, led to his appearance in the Police Court yesterday, the magistrate sentencing him to three months’ imprisonment on each of the charges of conversion. M’Laren Chied-(fet ecti've Holmes said that M’Laren first took a car, valued at £65, the property of George Alexander Grey, on January 15. The vehicle was taken from ‘ High street and later found abandoned in the city. The other car belonged to William Burnet Brosnan, and was valued at £165. It was taken from outside the owner’s house in King street. M’Laren lived at Sawyer’s Bay, where he was employed on the railway construction work, and he proceeded there. The car was left on the side of the road for two days without being traced,_ so the accused drove it back into the city. In Cumberland street he was approached by two men who questioned his ownership of the car. M’Laren ran away. Interviewed on Tuesday by Detective M’Dougall, he admitted converting the vehicle, and later told Detective Brown that he had taken Mr Grey’s car. M’Laren, added Mr Holmes, had been before the court before for unlawful conversion and also for other offences. The accused’s list was certainly not a creditable one, and he had been released from prison in October, said his counsel (Mr C. J. L. White). There had been a warning issued by the Minister of Justice against-owners of cars leaving their cars without taking precautions to ensure their safety. In the case of the car that was driven to Sawyer’s Bay the keys were left in it, while the other vehicle was unlocked. Everybody seemed to be most negligent about taking this precaution. However, as far as M’Laren was concerned he certainly had no right at all to take the cars. The Magistrate said that accused seemed to have no regard at all for other persons’ property. M’Laren was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on each of the charges of conversion, the sentence to be concurrent.