THEFTS FROM CARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21328, 1 November 1932, Page 14

THEFTS FROM CARS

TWO MEN PLEAD GUILTY WHEELS AND TYRES TAKEN BOTH ACCUSED IMPRISONED Seven charges of stealing inolor-car wheels, tyres, tubes and rims, of a total value of £2B 19s, were jointly preferred against Hector Donald Connolly, aged 23, baker ( and Wallace Dalkeith Morrison, aged 23, motor engineer, in the Police Court yesterday. They pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant Kelly said that on tho night of October 21 accused spent sonic hours driving round city streets in a hired motor-car, removing wheels, tyres and other accessories from parked motorcars. In one or two instances the cars ivcre jacked up while wheels were removed. Accused took the stolen articles to a private garage and on the following day tool* them to a second-hand dealer's shop in tho city. Tho. men were observed by Detectives Packman and "Wilson and detained, as they could not satisfactorily explain where they obtained the goods. Morrison was a married man and came from Australia, where his wife still lived, about two years ago, continued Mr. Kelly, lie had a list of convictions and was the leader. Connolly also had a number of convictions and was only recently discharged from prison, lie was not married. Counsel for the defence, Mr. Aekins, said that Connolly's part in the thefts was only a minor one. His father was prepared to look after him and lake him back to the country, where he had been working. Morrison was anxious to return to Australia and had committed the 'offences in order to obtain sufficient money to go back to the Commonwealth. "They are not worthy of any chance whatever," remarked the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt. Each accused was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, to be followed by reformative detention not exceeding two years.