THEFT OF MOTOR-CAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 12

THEFT OF MOTOR-CAR.

PRISONER WITH RECORD.

COMMENT BY THE JUDGE.

TWO YEARS' IMPRISONMENT. Sentenco of two years' imprisonment with hard labour was passed by Mr. Justice Smith in tho Supremo Court yesterday on Jimmy Wereta, aged 26, a quartercaste Maori, who had pleaded guilty to tho theft of a motor-car at i'ukekohe on April 3. Mr. Hubble, for tho-Crown, said tho prisoner had a record, and was at present serving sentence of one month's imprisonment for tho theft of articles which ho had taken from the stolon car.

Mr. Noble, on prisoner's behalf, said ll;t) offence seemed to have been cbmmitted uiore out of drunken bravado than anything .else. Ho was a young man, and there wa's a chanco that lie might go right. His Ilopor reminded the prisoner that he had twico been sentenced in Wellington to periods of two years' reformative detention for theft, forgery and uttering. In September, 1926, ho was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for escaping from custody. These previous offences had been serious, and he could not treat this offence, as a mere escapade duo to drunken bravado. Prisoner stole a valuable car, and when it was recovered it was in a battered condition and practically useless. In view of tho previous convictions and bf the naturo of tho offence Wercta woiild bo sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour.