BORSTAL INMATES IN COURT

Southland Times, Issue 23650, 27 October 1938, Page 12

BORSTAL INMATES IN COURT

CHARGES OF ESCAPING AND THEFT Robert Clarence Clarke and Kurei Moni were charged in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before the Magistrate (Mr R. C. Abernethy) with escaping from the Borstal Institution. They were also jointly charged with stealing wearing apparel, converting a motor-van to their own use and stealing a case of apples and a petrol tin. They pleaded guilty to all the charges and elected to be dealt with summarily. Senior Sergeant W. Kelly said that on October 14 the two youths escaped from the institution and made towards Bay road where they hid. After dusk they entered a hut and stole a suit of clothes and other articles. They then took a motor-van from a garage and drove north. They stopped at Arthurton. entered a garage and stole a case of apples and a petrol tin. The youths went through Dunedin to Palmerston the next day. They were arrested at Bushy Park. v “When Clarke was before me on October 12 he said that he realized the seriousness of trying to escape and yet two days later, lie made another attempt to escape,” said the Magistrate. “I will gat a report from the superintendent.”

On October 12, Clarke was sentenced to a further term of imprisonment for escaping from the institution, but, through inadvertence, was not given the choice of trial by jury in the Supreme Court. The case was reheard yesterday and Clarke pleaded guilty, electing to be dealt with summarily. The youths were remanded until today.