“ONE OF THE WORST”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 163, 30 September 1927, Page 13

“ONE OF THE WORST”

TAXI-DRIVER GAOLED THEFT AND DRUNKENNESS Press Association BLENHEIM, Thursday. “This is one ot the worst cases of the kind to come be ore me,” was the remark of Mr. T. II Maun sell, S.M.. at the Magistrate's Court in dealing with a series of offences brought against a youthful taxi-ilriver named Stanley David Wells, who was charged with drunkenness while, in charge of a motor-car. a breach of his prohibition order and the theft of a razor and strop valued at 15s. All the ofTences occurred on the Blenheim-Avondalfe road on September 5. A.ccused pleaded guilty to drunkenness and failing to observe the terms of his prohibition order, but said he remembered nothing of the theft of the razor and strop as he was under the influence of liquor. The magistrate was treating this as a plea of not guilty on the theft charge, when Senior-Sergeant Clarkson, who represented the police, produced a signed statement in which accused admitted all the offences. Accused was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for being drunk while in charge of a car and his licence suspended, and disqualified from applying for a new licence for four years. On the charge of theft he was ordered to be detained at the Borstal Institution for a period not exceeding two years. On the charge of breaking his prohibition order he was convicted and discharged.