CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27040, 26 March 1949, Page 3

CITY POLICE COURT

YOUNG MEN CHARGED Two young men, Ronald Albert Vickers, a cook, of Nelson street, Dunedin, and lan Alexander Walker, a clerk, of Gordon road, Mosgiel, both aged 20, appeared before Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday charged with commiting a grossly indecent act in the Queen’s Gardens. They were represented by Mr F. W. Guest On the applicatibn of Chief Detective Hall, the accused were remanded in custody for one week, bail being refused. Two Years in Borstal A youth of 171 years, who was stated by his counsel, Mr J. P. Ward, to be of weak mentality, pleaded guilty to two charges of the theft of money, one of conversion of a bicycle, and one of being a rogue and vagabond in that he was found on premises in Union street without lawful excuse. Because of his mental state the court suppressed his name. Chief Detective Hall said that the youth resided in Invercargill. He went into a shop there arid took 2s from the till. When apprehended, he admitted that between August, 1948, and February last he had taken sums totalling £2 18s from the till in the same manner. Coming to Dunedin he stayed at the YMCA for a few days, and then slept out. He entered premises in Union street, but when disturbed ran away. He was apprehended by the occupier and a constable. He was then in possession of a bicycle he had taken from outside a residence in Castle street. This machine was valued at £3l 7s 6d. The accused had been under the care of the Child Welfare Department. Mr Ward, explaining the backwardness of the youth, said he had ,been granted an under-rate workers’ permit, and was

working in Invercargill until he lost his job through absenting himself. It appeared that the youth’s father had words with him on March 13. and threatened to send him back to an institution. The next day, he had vanished. He had a bicycle of his own. Mr Ward continued, and rode it to Dunedin. He took the other machine because he thought it.was better than his own, leaving the latter in its stead. Counsel suggested that a term of supervisional training in a borstal institution might be in the best interests of the prisoner. Mr Willis said that that was the recommendation of interested officials. The accused would be sentenced to two years in the Borstal.