ESCAPADE OF YOUTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 614, 16 March 1929, Page 1

ESCAPADE OF YOUTH

FOUR ROB STORE AT HUNTLY JUDGE ORDERS REMAND Four young men from Ngaruawahia who had pleaded guilty at Huntly to a charge of breaking, entering and stealing from a store in that town, appeared in the Supreme Court this morning. After listening to their counsel. Mr. Justice Blair remanded the prisoners for a week in order to consider possibilities of breaking their association. The prisoners were Clifford Roy Hill* aged 22, Joseph McCabe, 20, Charles Clifford Morris Brunton, 19, and Albert John Robinson, 19.

On their behalf Mr. Rawson said it was difficult to ascribe a reason for the offence, except that an unfavourable companionship might have been the cause. All came from respectable homes. “It appears to be nothing worse than a mad escapade of youth,” counsel said. “The young men visited Huntly one evening and, finding a car unoccupied, ‘borrowed’ the machine, and once embarked upon their illicit adventure, stole benzine. Short of cigarettes, they entered the store and helped themselves to several packets and took other goods. Losing their heads, they had a feast of fruit. This was more a case of youthful recklessness than a calculated burglary.” His Honour said lie was always loth to impose a term of imgrisonment upon young men. In the case before the court there was a want of premeditation. “’I will have further inquiries made as to the possibility of breaking to impose a term of imprisonment upon men,” said the judge in remanding prisoners for a week.