CHARGE OF CONVERTING CAR

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1930, Page 5

CHARGE OF CONVERTING CAR

TAKEN FROM FOOTBALL MATCH. REMANDED FOR SIX MONTHS. Charged with unlawfully converting a car valued at £2OO, the property of Frank Baker, bnt not so as to be guilty of theft, Arthur Lyall Hebbend appeared in the New Plymouth Polieo Court yesterday before Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M. The offence, it was alleged, took place on August 23. Accused was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence at the end of six months. For driving without a license he was convictcd°and ordered to pay 10s costs. The car had been taken while its owner was at a football match last Saturday, said Senior-Sergeant McCrorie. It had been discovered in King Street on Tuesday by Constable Mills. Hebbend, who was 19 years of age, was out of employment. He had used the car for two trips to Inglewood. The case was attended by very peculiar circumstances, sand Mr. L. Hughes, who appeared for Hebbend. Hebbend had seen the car outside the football grounds and had driven it home. On Sunday he had driven the car to a service station in New Plymouth and later went to Inglewood, coming back to his home at Waiwakaiho the game night. On Monday he had taken the mother of a friend to Inglewood. The next day he again drove into New Plymouth, without the least pretence of hiding, filled up with benzine and, leaving the car, walked down Devon Street. “NOT MENTALLY SOUND.” Hebbend’s mother was amazed when he was arrested, but she thought at times that he was not mentally sound. His father had suffered from lapses of memory. Indeed, four or five weeks previously he had been reported to have thrown himself from the ferry steamer Maori, but he had been discovered in the South Island- with his memory gone. . When Hebbend was interviewed he could not explain why he had taken the car. He was arrested and had spent the night in the cells. The magistrate: I must regard him as sane until he is shown to be insane. He must not interfere in this way with other people’s rights. This sort of thinw cannot be permitted. , Mr. Hughes: As far as other people’s rights are concerned he does not seem to realise what he has done.. The magistrate: The first thing to do is to get a medical opinion. . A man who does a thing like this is either guilty of t he offence or is mentally unsound. Accused was remanded for observation. - ' , ~ The case was later re-opened, Air. Hughes stating that, the mother of the bofdid not desire him to be considered insane. , , , . Mrs. Hebbend said that she had only 18s a week with which to keep five children. The magistrate (to accused): I cannot understand why you were such a fool as to take someone else’s car. Hebbend was then convicted and ordered to come up for sentence at the end of six months.