CRIME FOR A COMPANION

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1932, Page 9

CRIME FOR A COMPANION

Jwo YOUTHS ON GRAND TOUR

. “CAN OUR NAMES BE SUPPRESSED?” '■ COMMITTED TO BORSTAL HOME. Setting out from Christchurch last month, two youths had a merry tour with crime as a companion before they met the police at New Plymouth. Their misdeeds were related to Mr.-R. W. Tate, SjM., yesterday, with the result that David John Graham Dick (aged 19) and Gordon Northeott (aged IS) were ordered to be detained in a Borstal Institute, the former for three years and the latter for one year. Their joint venture in crime was inaugurated by the unlawful conversion of •three motor-cycles—the , first two at Hastings on October 18. One- worth £2O belonging to E. B. J. Watson broke down after, conveying them a short distance, Bp they returned to -town to secure a more expensive machine (valued at £65) - belonging to E. B. J. Watson. They then proceeded almost to Dannevirke before an inconsiderate engine failed them. But they were hot by. any means at-the end of their resources, for on October 20 they selected a £7O machine at Palmerston North and left Richmond Percy Gould lamenting while they dashed away to Turakina. ' Having launched , their partnership

with a series of/con versions, they apparently decided, to establish a new branch of i. their business at New Plymouth.

Choosing the evening of. Sunday, October 23, they commenced 1 operations by visiting a church service and stealing Ed-

mond A tack’s hat worth 10s. and two overcoats, one worth £6 belonging to S.- W. McCann, and the other worth £2 belonging to John Janies. It was after that that they met the police; The activities of the pair after leaving Christchurch together for Wellington on October 10 were traced by. Detective Meiklejohn. They remained at Wellington, he said, until the night of October 14, When they left by transport lorry for Napier. Arriving there next morning they remained in and .about Napier. and. until October 18, when, aboh£-*4,30 p.m., they took the first motor-cycle from Hastings. and rode .it a short distance. It then broke down and they abandoned it. No damage was done to the machine.

SECOND MOTOR-CYCLE TAKEN.

. ; The same evening, still at Hastings, they took the second motor-cycle from another street about 9 o’clock and rode it nearly .to Dannevirke, where, the engine having'seized, they left the vehicle in ’.'charge' of Milne, a farmer at Matamau. Telling him. they would return for it, they took the number plates away apd. they still had them-in their possession when arrested at New Plymouth; otherwise no damage was done to the cysle. - . , '

On October 19 they reached Palmerston North, and the next night they took a.motof-cycle; from Cuba Street and rode it to a point on the Bulls-Tura-kina' Road, near' Turakina. The number , plates of this machine, too, were in their possession when they were ■ arrested. New Plymouth was reached on the afternoon of Sunday, October 23. They stayed at .Welcome Lodge, but some time b’etw'een 7; and. 8 -o’clock that evening they visited the Assembly Hall in Robe Street and stole two overcoats and the hat. ■ • '.■lnterviewed' on October 25 by Constable -Stanton, the ,two boys denied having taken Gould’s cycle from Palmerston North, but.later they admitted to th® same constable and Detective Kearney’that they had taken it. Subsequently; 'they ’ admitted the other offences. gujlty to all the offences, Dick and Northcott elected summary jurisdiction. on the indictable charges. The magistrate: Have you anything to say for yburselves? .Dick:. 'Ses'. We* want to know if our names can be suppressed. /.The past records of the pair were related to the Court' by Detective Meiklejohn. Northcott, he said, left Christchurch on October 10, telling his people he was going to a position with Dalgety and Go. at Now Plymouth. His mother gave him the last £1 2s.' 6d. she had to pay his fare. The next she heard of him. was that he and Dick were at Napier and Hastings, and that • Northcott hadcalled on his ■ brother. Dick had left his home at Christchurch at the same time as his companion, but did ’ not say where he' was going. He stole his:, sister’s portable gramophone ■before departing. ’ ’

As, far as could be ascertained, continued the detective, Northcott had been of good character and had a good home, though it was poor financially. His father was on relief work, and nothing was/known against the family. Apparently he had been led away by Dick, who bad a hid character and associated with reputed thieves. He had been previously arrpsted'for drunkenness. He had been in the New Zealand; Navy, but was discharged because he could not be controlled. His mother had asked that he should be given a term in the Borstal Institute as he could not be managed at home.

The-magistrate made an order for the ■ return of the stolen property to the owners. • -