CAMBRIDGE CRIMINALS

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1930, Page 3

CAMBRIDGE CRIMINALS

SIX' YOUTHS SENT TO GAOL ARSON AND THEFT ADMITTED. STERN COMMENT BY JUDGE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton, July 24. The Supreme Court was crowded this morning with interested spectators when six of the 10 dambridge gangsters, who pleaded guilty to arson, theft and mischief, came before Mr. Justice Herdman for sentence. The charges to which accused pleaded guilty were: John Meredith, one charge of arson, two of theft; E. D. Brown, six of arson, one of attempted arson, one of mischief, two of theft; Alfred D. Brown, five of arson, two of theft; H. C. Hall, six of arson, two of mischief, one ©f theft; John V. Featherston, seven of arson, one of attempted arson, two of mischief, three of theft; W. S. Goodall, two of arson, one of theft. The two Browns, Meredith and Hall were each sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour on one charge, to be followed by reformative detention not exceeding three years. On each of the other charges they were sentenced to one month’s hard labour, the sentence to be concurrent with the other term of imprisonment. Featherstone and Goodall were each ordered to be detained in a Borstal Institute for a term not exceeding three years on the arson charge and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment on the other charges, the sentences to be concurrent. His Honour remarked that no doubt the prison authorities would see that the young men were not detained in the same institutions. Addressing the prisoners, his Honour said he was puzzled to account for the extraordinary outbreak of crime. It was not want that had driven them to committ the serious offences to which they pleaded guilty, nor did it appear to be the desire for gain. Moreover, it was not a sudden impulse that had caused them to go from place to place committing acts of destruction. His Honour said he could find no excuse for the conduct of accused, and could think of nothing that would explain it excepting a definite criminal instinct. They had acted deliberately and systematically, and the depositions showed that for months they had been engaged in a campaign of destruction and theft. How long they would have continued, committing these . acts of crime had they not been arrested was difficult to say. “Fortunately,” added his Honour, “the vigilance of the detective officers stationed in Hamilton, whose ability and efficiency are deserving of praise, brought you to justice, and it is now for me to make sure that for some time, at any rate, you will nett be able to repeat your past performances.” His Honour said: “Buildings have gone up in smoke, stacks have been burned, a car been set on fire, and another car thrown into the river, property to the value of £4OOO has been destroyed, an. amazing record .for a band of young men. It is not often in New- Zealand that a judge has'such a series of offences to consider or such a collection of young criminals to deal with. One thing is certain, that you must be punished with severity, and in such a way that other young men may be deterred from imitating your example.”