Boys Who Staged Armed Hold-up

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 256, 29 October 1942, Page 4

Boys Who Staged Armed Hold-up

COMMITTED TO CARE OE STATE Per Press Association. AUCKLAND. Oct. 28. “This was really an armed hold-up,* said Detective-Sergeant Trethewey when two boys were jointly charged in the Children’s Court before Air. J. H. Luxford, S.M., with having assaulted Robert John Quested with intent to rob him, at Otahuhu, on October 15, and with tha theft of a pair of number plates on the previous day. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey said the Police Department was of the opinion that it was a case to go before the Supreme Court. Alessrs. Matthews and Sneddon appeared for the boys, who pleaded guilty. The two accused, whose ages are 161 years and 16 years 10 months, had formed the idea of nolding up the Otahuhu railway workshops payroll car, said De-tective-Sergeant Trethewey. One of tha boys, a railway employee, bought a .22 repeating rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition the day before the offence. The rifle was bought and registered in tha normal way on the morning of October 15. The boy borrowed his father s motorcar on which were placed the stolen licence plates, and with his accomplice, a cabinetmaker's apprentice, drove In front of the payroll car which stopped in Favona Road where the boys had ordered it to stop. One of the boys got out of their car, took a part from the payroll car to disable It, and then attempted to steal the £IO.OOO contained in the payroll car while the other boy held tha rifle. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey said the rifle was founl to contain 11 rounds. One of the boys had used force and had struck the man in the car with a span-

When the boy with the rifle saw they were not succeeding, he called his friend back and they drove away. The boys had been disguised, both wearing sun glasses and scarves over their faces. Both boys were equally guilty, said Mr. Matthews. The boy with the rifle had not covered the payroll car with the rifle and he had not demonstrated it in a menacing way. The rifle had been lying through the open windshield of the car and h 6 had one hand on it. The boys, who had excellent records at school and whose parents were of immaculate decency, were after all only children and ho asked for them to be dealt with by the Children's Court which was more concerned with bringing them out as decent citizens than with the question of punishment. lie doubted if Borstal would do them good as they were already industrious boys with trades. It was gratifying that their first such act should have been so completely bowled out, said Air. Alatthews. The boys had been completely unable to explain why they did it. They had a small cabinet making workshop where they turned out fine saleable goods in their spare time and they may have had a get-rich-quick idea to set up their small factory. Air. Sneddon supported Air. Matthews’ remarks and stated that the boy for whom he appeared had stated that they certainly had no intention of using the A request that the boys be dealt with in the Children’s Court was made by Air. A. E. Wishart, Boys’ Welfare Officer. They were decent lads who had made a blunder. He had seen products of their workshop and they were men in craftmanship. One of the boy’s mother was a widow. Some kind of madness must have come over them. The magistrate; Would it not be more badness? Mr. Wishart asked for the leniency of the court so that they could come back to decent citizenship. He realised he waa asking something big. Evidence was given as to the boys’ characters, their work and home life by their parents, an employer and stationmaster. The car had been borrowed with parental consent. Neither of the boys had given any previous trouble to his parents. “It is more a case for the Child Welfare Department than the Prison's Department,” said the magistrate, who commuted the boys to the care of the State. They would be under the care of the Superintendent of the Child Welfare Department and in due course they would come back to their people on licence. He ordered confiscation of the rifle.