STREET ROBBERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24134, 28 November 1941, Page 8

STREET ROBBERY

LABOUKEE SENTENCED TERM OF FOUR YEARS GANGSTER TYPE OF CRIME Sentence of three years impiisonjnent with hard labour was imposed by Mr. Justice Fair yesterday on Victor George Mosen, labourer, aged 21, who ]iad pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery with violence in Victoria Street on October 28, when a bag containing £6lB 14s 7d in cash and cheques was snatched from a message boy employed by the Waitemata Trading Company. In addition, prisoner appeared for sentence for a breach of probation, it being stated by the probation officer, Mr. "j. A. Anderson, that on April 24 last prisoner was admitted to probation under suspended sentence on one charge of unlawful conversion of a motor-car and two charges of breaking and entering. For the breach of probation lie was sentenced to one year's reformative detention, the terms to be cumulative. Six Previous Convictions His Honor said lie was not disposed to agree with the plea of prisoner's counsel, Mr. Meek, that prisoner had been the tool of other men whom he had met when serving past sentences. His record showed he had six convictions. Prisoner had been given the opportunity to prove that he could live an honest" life, but instead, he had committed a further serious crime. "You have been leniently treated in the past," said His Honor, "and you have shown that this leniency lias been wasted. What you require is more severe punishment to make you realise that you cannot disobey the law of the community, and that the community will protect itself against men like ' you." Impudent Offence Characterising prisoner's offence as an impudent robbery in broad daylight in one of the principal streets of the city, Ilis Honor said there was no doubt ' prisoner had associates in the crime, : but from the way he had watched the ■ message boy's progress to the bank every day for some weeks before the I offence it was just as probable that ' prisoner had originated the idea, and ] he had certainly taken the major part in carrying it out. "We are fortunate," said His Honor, "that this gangster type of crime is not common in New Zealand, but when it occurs sentence must be | imposed that will show it will always be met with substantial punishment. Such a type of crime must he stopped before it has time to grow." Before the Judge passed sentence, the probation officer stated that he had been reliably informed that recently prisoner had been associating 'with persons he had met in prison and with other undesirable characters. Plea by Counsel Mr. Meek saifl prisoner came from a hard-working and respectable family, and his trouble started when at 18 he had come to town after working since he was 13 in remote country districts. His whole trouble was the company he kept. His stupid action in trying to negotiate cheques from the October robbery showed that he did not have the brain to formulate the plan. He had been the tool of older men, and it was not misplaced loyalty, but fear which prevented him from saying who they were. For the Crown, Mr. IS. I. Smith said of the money stolen, prisoner had received £BO as his share, and when he was arrested on November 8, within a fortnight of the offence, he had only _s left, together with cheques which he was then trying to negotiate. The rest of the money had been spent on liquor, women and racehorses.