CAR STEALING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23223, 22 June 1937, Page 13

CAR STEALING

YOUNG MAORI’S “ ORGY M ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE (Peh United Press Association) HAMILTON. June 21. What was described as ah orgy of car stealing had its sequel in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court to-day, when a Maori labourer, Hapi Atutahi, aged 24 was committed to the Supreme Court "‘at Auckland for sentence on five charges of car conversion and one of breaking and entering. On two charges of theft the accused was convicted and sentenced to three months, with hard labour, on each charge, the sentences to be cumulatiye. Atutahi was arrested on the hills behind Napier and convicted in the Magistrate’s Court there on a car conversion charge and two charges of theft, and sentenced to three months imprisonment on the conversion charge and one month each on the theft charges, the sentences to be cumulaitV<was pointed out by Detective White that the prisoner was sentenced in February of last year for car conversion to two years reformative detention, was discharged on licence on May 11, and five days later began this latest orgy of car stealing. “He came out much too soon, commented the magistrate, Mr D. L. Paterson. .