OFFENCES BY CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19455, 11 October 1926, Page 14

OFFENCES BY CHILDREN

THREE YOUTHS IN TROUBLE. "BAD BOY OF THE VILLAGE." WARRANT FOR ARREST ISSUED. A youth of 18, who was described as "the bad boy of the village," and "the village pugilist," failed to appear when his name was called in the Children's Court on Saturday. Ho and a companion, aged 15 years, were charged with assisting another boy to commit the offence of using obscene language, while tho third youth, also 15, was charged with using obscene language in a telephone cabinet. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., was on the bench with Mrs. A. E. Herbert, of Christchurch, and Mrs. N. E. Ferncr, as associates.

Detective-Sergeant O'Brien said the oldest boy .had been served with a summons for assault, and for this reason apparently cherished a grudge against the local constable. Ho persuaded the other two boys to accompany him to a telephone cabinet, and while one of them inserted a penny he rang up the constable and the third boy used obscene language when ihe constable answered. If it had not bf-.en for tho influence of the older boy the other two would not have been in trouble. They came from respectable homes. Counsel for one of the younger boys said the lad had practically been compelled to commit the offence. The older boy was rather a dangerous character. He threatened other boys and would knock them about if they did not do as he told them. Mr. J. S. jCupit, juvenile probation officer, said the older boy had been in trouble before, and owing to his behaviour there was then some doubt as to whether he should not be sent to the Borstal Institute. The magistrate admonished the two younger boys and dismissed tho charges against them. , A warrant was issued for the arrest of tho older boy on the application of De-tective-Sergeant O'Brien, who said the boy was simply showing his defiance of the Court by failing to appear. Two boys, aged 15 and 16, were charged with wilfully damaging two electric light globes, valued at 19s. Senior-Sergeant Edwards said the boys had been ordered out of a picture theatre for creating a disturbance and had begun throwing stones at the lamps of a shop near by, breaking two of them. The oldest boy had already been placed on probation for three years. The charges were dismissed, the boys being ordered to pay for the damage done. DAMAGE TO A FENCE. A charge of wilfully damaging the fence o[ the St. Coluniba Church was admitted by a boy aged 11. It was stated the boy had pulled a batten from tho fence. During the past year the fence had been damaged to the extent of £lO by offences of this kind. The charge was dismissed, the hoy being ordered to pay 3s for the damage done.