Motorists Complain of Conversion Penalty As Not Heavy Enough

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1947, Page 5

Motorists Complain of Conversion Penalty As Not Heavy Enough

P.A. WELLINGTON, May 21. Concern at the lightness of the penalty imposed on a man recently convicted for the tenth time of motor vehicle conversion, was expressed at a meeting of the executive council of the North Island Motor Union, to-day. The council decided to draw the attention of the Justice Department to the report. The council’s discussion arose from a letter received from the Automobile Association (Manawatu), containing newspaper cuttings which, the letter claimed, showed inconsistency of punishment for the conversion of motor vehicles as compared with other types of offence. In one case a man was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for the theft of nine pounds, another man was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for the theft of fruit juice valued at two shillings and four pence; and a man on his tenth conviction for the unlawful conversion of a motor vehicle was ordered by the Magistrate to come up for sentence within six months, if called on, and, if he were called, to receive three months’ imprisonment. Mr E. Palliser said that the Motor Union was not asking the Justice Department to discipline or to influence the Magistrates, but it was merely expressing its opinion on the penalty.