A CAREER OF CRIME.

Otago Witness, Issue 3885, 28 August 1928, Page 79

A CAREER OF CRIME.

YOUNG MEN IN TROUBLE. SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT. WELLINGTON, August 22. Robert Lancester Fairweather, aged and George Lawson, also aged 22, who were arrested on Saturday, appeared today charged with the unlawful conversion at Te Kuiti of a car valued at £250; with the theft at Wanganui and AVaverley of benzine valued at £1 14s; with the theft of a jack of the value of £1 at Paekakariki; and with the theft of an attache case and a two-gallon tin of benzine, of the value of £3 5s 6d, at Haw era. It was stated that Fairweather came to the Dominion in December. 1924, v ith a draft of public school boys, and was placed with a farmer at Apiti, ' but he would not get out of bed and would not work. The Immigration Department found him other positions. He appeared before the court at Wanganui in December, 1926, and was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment for the conversion of a car, and was convicted and discharged on a charge of vagrancy. Later he came to Wellington, and was allowed to sleep in a furnished house. A serious robbery was committed in the house, and Fairweather stowed away to Sydney, wheie he made the acquaintance cf Lawson. Both travelled from Sydney to Alelbourne, where they were arrested on a charge of vagrancy. That charge was withdrawn, but in October of 1927, at Albury, they _wer e fined £5O, in default four months* imprisonment, and £l5, in default imprisonment, respectively on two charges of converting cars to their own use'. On March 13 of this year they were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Albury for breaking and entering. They were discharged from Goulburn Gaol thi s month, and, stowing away on a steamer, arrived at Auckland last week. The thefts in the present charges were all made in connection with a trip in a converted car from Te Kuiti to Wellington. The magistrate (Air E. Page) remarked that the police report was very unfavourable. They had evidently set out to live dishonestly. Six months’ imprisonment was imposed bn each of the accused.