YOUTHFUL CRIME

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24251, 17 April 1942, Page 4

YOUTHFUL CRIME

COMMENT BY JUDGE MAKING PENALTY SEVERE Sharp comment on the prevalence of crime by youths was made by Mr. Justice Callan when dealing with II prisoners who appeared before him for sentence yesterday. Touching on the question of probation for youthful offenders, His Honor said the Court had to consider the effect oh the publie of the sentences passed, particularly the effect on those who had so little conscience that they had to be restrained from crime by fear. Property Bights Ignored "The position in this district is that the Court has already had to announce its alarm at the amount of rank dishonesty and complete carelessness with regard to the rights of propery shown in the offences committed, quite ttrinecessarily, by adolescents and still very young men," said His Honor. A warning had been given only a short time ago hy the Court and now he found again several cases of breaking and entering by adolescents. In that state of things the duty of the Court was such that it was going to be veiy difficult for anybody to get probation. He was quite aware of the responsibility the Court had in finally making anyone a criminal, but something had to be done to teach those people. *' "Spirit of Bravado" . Two freezing workers, Trevor Alder Jack and Alwyn Trevor Wilson {Mr. Hubble), both of whom are 21, appeared for sentence on seven charges of , "theft 'and "one of breaking and enter- " inc with intent. Counsel said the offences were committed in a spirit of recklessness and bravado. Both had enlisted in the Air force. Concurrent sentences of 18 months' imprisonment with hard labour were imposed on each count. An Exceptional Case "This is a very special case, in that he three times entered a neighbour's house, took money and never spent it," His Honor said, in dealing with a farm labourer, William Henry Nash, aged 19 (Mr. Gould), on three charges of housebreaking. "I am prepared to believe this was done in a spirit of adventure and curiosity." Sentence of three years' probation was passed, and prisoner was ordered to pay £5 toward the costs. A young Maori, Dennis Ngatai, was sentenced to 12 months' hard labour for breaking and entering a shop at Putaruru and stealing 14s OJd. It was stated he was already on probation and I had a bad record.