TRACK OF CRIME

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 748, 22 August 1929, Page 1

TRACK OF CRIME

REFORMATIVE DETENTION FOR YOUTHFUL TRIO JUST LEFT BORSTAL Small suburban robberies committed during the last three months and over a territory extending from Mount Roskill to Remuera, were cleared up this morning when a trio of youths appeared at the Police Court. Two of them faced six charges of theft, and, with a third offender, four additional counts. rpHE three youths were Cyril Pattersou and Thomas Henry McIntyre, both butchers, aged 20, and Hector Donald Connolly, a labourer aged 19. The charges were originally breaking and entering, but on Chief-Detective Hammond’s recommendation they were reduced to theft, the three accused pleading guilty. In the six charges, concerning Patterson and Mclntyre alone, goods valued at £22 2s 6d were taken. The remaining four charges, implicating Connolly, estimated the value of goods stolen at £33 4s 4d. The dwellings entered were situated in Mount Albert, Herne Bay, Morningside, Remuera and New North Road. “That was a good catch,” commented Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., after the accused had pleaded guilty. According to the chief-detective, the three youths were all on licence from the Borstal Institute. The first offence had been committed only 13 days after Patterson’s release from the institution. After the first -five offences Connolly had found employment on a farm at Helensville, where he had been working when arrested. “Their licence will not be up for a year,” added the chief-detectwe. “There is a lot of the property not yet recovered. Some of it was jewellery and they broke it up and threw it away.” In the opinion of Mr. W. J. Campbell, probation officer, Connolly was not so bad as the others. They had all been sent to the Borstal by the Supreme Court and had now qualified for a term at Waikeria. Patterson and Mclntyre were each sentenced to three years’ reformative detention. Connolly was sentenced to a term of two years.