ESCAPE FROM WAIKERIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19879, 24 February 1928, Page 14

ESCAPE FROM WAIKERIA.

YOUNG MAN SENTENCED. TWO YEARS' IMPRISONMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] TE AWAMUTU. Thursday. "You are a distinct menace to the oiher inmates at Waikeria, and we consider you should be kept at Mount Eden prison," said the presiding justices at the Court to-day, when dealing with Daniel Barnaby, the young man who, while serving a sentence of five years' detention at the Waikeria Borstal Institute, escaped during the night of February 8 and was recaptured over 100 miles away on the following Saturday morning. Barnaby admitted the charge of escaping and elected to be dealt with summarily. Constable Doyle said escapees from Waikeria caused a great deal of trouble and were a bad influence on many of the inmates, who usually wero tractable. Barnaby had, by some means, won his way into a class of good conduct inmates, who were living at a temporary camp two or three miles from headquarters near their work. During the night ho escaped and took with him a pony, an officer's overcoat and a length of rope, and lode rapidly southward. On Saturday morning he was apprehended. The pony had been abandoned en routo and was not yet recovered. Barnaby had since prepared a statement, in which he alleged he was worrying over the absence of news from his relatives, and that the officers at the camp had annoyed hiin. He said he resolved to escape and lay his troubles before the Borstal superintendent. After escaping, however, ho became frightened and in temporary madness rode away, and he Was now repentant. Constable Doyle said the Borstal authorities did not desire Barnaby to be returned to the institution, because of his bad influence on other inmates, and lie quits agreed. Barnaby's record was sufficient to warrant imprisonment. The magistrate said he was aot the type who would be benefited by Borstal treatment. The police should inform ihe Minister of Justice of the facts of the Court's comments. A sentence ot imprisonment for two years with hard labour was imposed.