“ROBBING” AN ORCHARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20005, 24 January 1927, Page 10

“ROBBING” AN ORCHARD.

SENTENCE ON A BOY. A storm of indignation has been aroused at Northwood, Middlesex, over the recent sentence upon a boy, Percy Lawer, of five years’ detention in a reformatory, in connection with a charge of stealing pears. The pressure of public opinion moved the chairman of the bench, . which punished the boy. to issue the following statement:— “From information that we have since received, we have come to the conclusion that it will be well to communicate with the Home Secretary, with a view to the period of detention that was passed upon the boy being reconsidered.” The case in question is that in which two boys were accused of stealing pears valued at £1 and damaging trees to the extent of £1 in an orchard. One of the lads was ordered to pav 40s costs, and was reprimanded. The other was sentenced to five years in the Redhill Industrial School. Both admitted being in the garden, but said they were caught before they had a chance to get the fruit. “The only reason that the magistrates who heard the case took the course they did,” added the chairman, “was that thev thought it would be in the interests of the boy, ... , " , “From inquiries we have made, we ana that perhaps there was a mistake, and we are communicating with the Home Secretary on the subject.”