STOLE LOAF OF BREAD

Hawera Star, Volume L, 6 January 1931, Page 9

STOLE LOAF OF BREAD

MAORI RESISTS ARREST

CONSTABLE’S STRENUOUS

STRUGGLE.

Having been caught in the act el stealing a loaf of bread from a Normanbv bakehouse about noon yesterday, 1 Billy Ivapa, a Maori, was chased halt a anile down a iback road towards Hawera before Constable Pidgeon managed to catch up with him. Ivapa on being accused of the thett, refused to accompany the constable, and said: “It’s you and I for it. ’ | Then for fully half an hour, the con-| stable had a desperate struggle on 'the roadside with the man betoie h e could be handcuffed and conveyed blear to the lock-up. , This morning Kapa, who has had do convictions since 1911, including several for having violently resisted the. police, appeared in the- Hawera Police Court, before Messrs. E. Dixon and J. Townsend, J.’s; P. , On a charge of resisting arrest tie was fined £lO, In default 2 months’ imprisonment, while on a charge of having stolen the bread, valued at Is, the property of William Palmer, he was convicted and discharged. . His previous probation order having expired, Kapa consented to another order for 12 months. . Sergeant Henry said that Kapa had I;i \-f»rv formidable list of previous convictions' and was one of the worst natives in the district, in fact, a dangerous man. William Palmer said that he saw accused going out ol the yard of his l bakehouse with a loaf of bread, and gave chase, but Kapa had dropped the loaf in a section and made off. Constable Pidgeon had then been informed of the theft. Constable Pidgeon stated that he had seen Kapa some distance from the bakehouse after the .occurrence, hut as soon as Kapa had sighted him the Maori had commenced to- run. A chase lui;| ensued and Kapa had taken the back road from Normanby towards Hawera. He had gone about half a mile before witness could catch up with him and when charged with stealing the bread had used language, towards him and in refusing to go with the constable had said: “It’s you and I for it.” Kapa was not drunk, hut would not reason and resisted arrest, struggling violently for half an hour before he could be handcuffed.