CAR CONVERSIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 161, 9 June 1939, Page 9

CAR CONVERSIONS

THREE BLENHEIM CASES. BURGLARS’ KIT FOUND. Per Press Association. BLENHEIM. June S. < Three eases involving motor-ear eon- t versions under somewhat cir- i cuiiiritances came be I ore Air 1. E. i A!Rintsell, S.M., in the Magistrate s Court yesterday afternoon. ( Reginald George Blomlield and Ed- , ward Ronald Bennett, labourers, of i Wellington, both men having several . aliases and previous convictions, pleaded guilty to converting at Nel- ; son, oil June 1. a motor-car valued at , £3OO and belonging to Air FI. L. Harley. • • , ,i t “These men are criminals and i suggest that they ho punished to the full extent of the law,” said iSemorSorgeant Smyth. “When arrested, they had in their possession lull equipment for burglary, including jemmies, gelignite, detonators, laves and torches. The police described how q general warning had been issued from Nelson when a oar was missed. Accused iieio seen changing the number plates in Blenheim but, realising that the constable had observed them, they leit town hurriedly, going in the direction of Kaikoura. Trallie Inspector -Laird gave chase but, when overtaken, they refused, to stop and the inspector had to force them into a hank. Counsel for Bennett pleaded for lenjenev for his client, who was in Court witli. his eyes bandaged, stating that tin' man would soon go blind i he out not receive frequent medical treatment. Counsel applied for Bennett s committal to a hospital. . . Tlio Afagistrato replied that lie had no power to grant such all application. While accused’s blindness was a distressing feature of the ease, it was entirelv due to the loathsome immoral life lie had led. In Ills opinion, both accused were blackguards who should never he at liliei'tv. 'flu' Magistrate imposed a sentence [of 12 months’ imprisonment on each oi the accused. , , , Two years’ detention m a Borstal institution and one vear on probation were the sentences imposed respectively on Gordon Bohert Dunn, aged 22. and lan Alexander Duncan, aged JK who admitted the conversion ol two motor cars. The heavier sentence was imposed on Dunn because he was reIga riled as the ringleader. Another lad in the gang was dealt with m the Children's Court. Defendants used one ear to drive to Lyttelton, where they were arrested. Three charges of ear conversion and ono of theft" were admitted hv Boss Harris a farm labourer. It was claimed that Harris had fallen into laid company and had been drinking. He ' was admitted to probation.