22 Years Old; 40 Convictions

Northern Advocate, 30 November 1939, Page 6

22 Years Old; 40 Convictions

[.Special to “Northern Advocate ”] AUCKLAND, This Day. “You are but 22 years of age and have a 'list of 40 convictions.

“When you come out of prison will you have the sense to realise that society always wins?” Mr Justice Callan said this in the Supreme Court today to Herbert Heka, a Maori, who admitted 13 charges of burglary, three charges, of converting motor vehicles to his oWn use, three charges of being a rogue and vagabond, two charges of assault, one of theft from a dwellinghouse, and one of wilful damage. Heka had nothing to say, and his Honor remarked that prior to present offences, Heka had 17 convictions. He had been in Borstal and allowed out at the end of a year.

23 Offences In Month,

Then in a period of one month he had committed 23 criminal offences. On each of the burglary charges, Heka was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour, the sentences to be concurrent.

On one charge of assaulting a woman when he had broken into a dwellinghouse. he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, to be cumulative with the sentence of two years.

On the other charges he was convicted and discharged. His Honor pointed out to Heka that he had qualified to be declared an habitual criminal.