“LOST HIS BALANCE”

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12527, 17 August 1926, Page 7

“LOST HIS BALANCE”

PROBATION IMPOSSIBLE IN CASE OF JOY-RIDER LAD’S CRAZE FOR MOTORS Pleas of guilty were entered by a youth of seventeen, Rov Davis Belt, when charged before Mr E. Page, R.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, with wilfully converting motor-cars and one motor-eyclo to his own use. The case involved ten charges, and the total value of the vehicles appropriated was £3105. Detective "Ward said that between the months of June and July last, the accused had been in the habit of taking cars from various quarters of the city, and driving them round the various bays. On the morning of July 10th he was caught in the act of driving a Chrysler Redan at 3.10 o’clock in the morning. The car on that occasion was damaged to the extent of over £IOO, through coming into contact with a telegrnph pole, whilo other vehicles had also suffered ns the result of the accused’s handling of them. The lad had previously been before the court in May, 1924, and when arrested had a skeleton key in his possession. Ho admitted that he lmd made the key with the intention of committing some burglaries. On tho occasion of his last escapade, the accused had sus-

tained injuries to his skull, which had necessitated a severe operation and the removal of a piece of his skull. “CRAZE FOR MOTOR-CARS” Mr P. Keesing remarked that the accused had allowed his craze for mo-tor-cars to overcome him, and once he had started his practices, a good deal of damage was done before everything was all over. He asked His Worship not to be influenced by the number of cars involved in the case or the extent of the damage for actually the case came under the heading, of one lapse. The accused seemed to have lost his balance altogether under the influence of hi* associates, and counsel applied to have the case dealt with in a lenient manner. The magistrate said it was impossible for him to grant probation in the case of the accused. There was a long series of offences in regard to wrongful conversion, and in several cases substantial damage had been done. In one case at least there was an indication that the damage was deliberate. The penalty was fixtd at three years’ treatment in a Borstal institution.