YOUNG MEN ON TOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1010, 28 June 1930, Page 10

YOUNG MEN ON TOUR

STOLEN CARS AND BAD CHEQUES GAOLED AFTER SURRENDER Press Association X ELS OX, Friday. j The story of a tour of Xew Zealand by two young men in stolen motor-cars was told in the Magistrate’s | rourt today when Frank Hubbard and Ernest Hex Johnson were sentenced <>n four charges of unlawful conver- . sion of a motor-car. two charges of obtaining credit by fraud, three of false pretences!, one of attempted false pretences and eight of theft. In all there were IS charges against Hubbard and 15 a .gainst Johnson. Detective Sinclair said that the first of the offences was committed by Hubbard on May 8 when he converted a motor-car to hie own use at Wellington. He travelled in it to Hastings, then returned to Woodville, arriving there on May 16. During that period he had comm tted offences of theft. ! Hubbard was then joined by John- ! son, and thev left together on a tour ; of Xew Zealand, first travelling to j Rotorua and then returning to Well- , ington. Before their return to Well- j ington, however, they had committed a further five offences of theft, four of false pretences, and had changed cars twice. From Wellington the two accused crossed to Lyttelton and travelled down to Oamaru on the proceeds of valueless cheques. At Oamaru they concerted another car to their own use and proceeded tc Timaru. They abandoned that car at Timaru and tried another in which they travelled toward Xcl son. They abandoned this car near Tophouse, and came on to Xelson in a. service car. During their Southern tour, continued the detective, they committed two offences of fraud and one of theft. On their arrival in Xelson on May 27. they decided for some reason or other to give themselves up, and they walked into the police station one afternoon and told their story. CAME FROM ENGLAND Apart from tnelr conversion of cars, he continued, they took property to The value of £BO, including some cash. Accused were together for 10 days only. Johnson was 20 years of age, and «*ame to Xew Zealand from England in 1926. He was a labourer by occupation. Apart from the present offences, he appeared to have a good record. Hubbard was 21 years old, a motordriver and mechanic, and he came to Xew Zealand from England 18 months .ago. As far as was known he was a first offender. In a. written statement to the magistrate the accused asked for probation and another chance. The magistrate, Mr. T. E. Maunsell, said that probation was out of tiie question. “You have seen fit to go on this tour of crime/’ he said, “and you will have to serve imprisonment. Jn the whole of my experience I have never had prisoners before me with such a number of charges of serious crime. You are young men, and I have taken that fact into consideration, and there is still time for you to develop into decent, respectable citizens.” For the theft of property of Vivian Bluck, accused were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment each. For the Theft of £4O, the property of Gilbert Merritt, they were sentenced to 12 months in gaol, the sentences to be concurrent. Upon the expiration of this sentence accused are to be detained for reformative purposes for a period not exceeding three years. On all other charges, except for one that had a two months* limit, sentences of three months’ imprisonment were imposed to be concurrent with the first sentences.