CAR CONVERSIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23830, 9 June 1939, Page 7

CAR CONVERSIONS

THREE BLENHEIM CASES TWO ACCUSED SENT TO PRISON CLASSED AS BLACKGUARDS (Per United Press Association) BLENHEIM, June 8. Three cases involving the conversion of motor cars under somewhat unusual circumstances came before Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon. There were particularly bad features about the cases of Reginald George Blomfield and Edward Ronald Bennett, labourers, of Wellington (both men with several aliases and previous convictions), who pleaded guilty to converting at Nelson on June 1 a motor car valued at £3OO, belonging to H. L. Harley. “ These men are criminals, and I suggest that they be punished to the full extent of the law,” said Senior Sergeant Smyth. “ When arrested they had in their possession the full equipment for burglary, including jemmies, gelignite, detonators, fuses, and torches.” The nolice described how a general warning was issued from Nelson when the car was missed. The accused were seen changing trienumber plates in Blenheim, but realising that a constable had observed them, they left town hurriedly, going in the direction nr Kaikoura. Traffic Inspector Laird gave chase, but when overtaken* they refused to stop, and the inspector had to force them into » bank. Counsel for Bennett pleaded for leniency for his client, who was in court with his eyes bandaged, stating that he would soon go blind if he did not receive frequent medical treatment. Counsel applied for Bennett’s committal to a hospital. The magistrate replied that h* had no power to grant such an application. While the accused’s blindness was a distressing feature of the case, it was entirely due to the loathsome, immoral life he, had led In his opinion both accused were blackguards who should never he at liberty. He imposed a sentence of 12 months imprisonment on each. Two years in the Borstal and a year’s probation were the respective sentences imposed on Gordon Robert Dunn, aged 22, and lan Alexander Duncan, aged 18, who admitted the conversion of two motor cars. The heavier sentence was imposed on Dunn, who was regarded as the ringleader. Another lad in the gang was dealt with in the Children’s Court. The defendants used one car to drive to Lyttelton, where they were arrested. Three charges of car conversion and one of theft were admitted by Ross Harris, a farm labourer. It was claimed that Harris had fallen into bad company and had been drinking. He was admitted to probation.