YOUTH SENTENCED FOR CONVERTING EMPLOYER’S TRUCK

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1949, Page 2

YOUTH SENTENCED FOR CONVERTING EMPLOYER’S TRUCK

John William Joseph Larcombe, aged 20, a dairy employee, was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment, with hard labour, on a charge of truck conversion when he appeared before Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth yesterday. He was also fined £1 6s costs "on a charge of driving without a license. The Magistrate added that had this been Larcombe’s first offence he might have considered leniency, but shis made his seventh conviction, clearly indicating that he was the type of person to whom it had to be brought home that he could not make use of other people’s vehicles at will. It was a type of offence that is far too common —easy to commit and sometimes hard to detect. Senior-Sergeant R. C. Mcßobie said that accused candidly admitted that he had no right to ‘take the truck, when interviewed. Larcombe, who was represented by Mr W. D. Taylor, had pleaded guilty to charges of converting to his own use on September 1, a motor truert valued at £325, the property of the Riversdale Dairy Supplies Ltd., Gieymouth, and of driving without a license, on the same date. Mr Taylor said that accused was , still employed by the company who were apparently still satisfied with him. He submitted that the accused’s action was irresponsible rather than criminal, and he asked for leniency. The accused was sentenced as stated.