“UTTER WASTER” GETS 3 MONTHS HARD LABOUR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18578, 28 September 1928, Page 8

“UTTER WASTER” GETS 3 MONTHS HARD LABOUR.

CONVERTED CAR, THEN BROKE PROBATION

Edward Alphonso Gawne was senenced in the Magistrate’s Court this morning to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour on a charge that on June 6, 1927, he did unlawfully convert to his own use a car, valued at £l5O, the property of the New Zealand Government.

Sergeant Hyland said that the accused had been convicted of the offence in Dunedin, and had been admitted to two years’ probation, but that his conduct was such that the charge had been laid again, and really constituted a breach of probation.

When the offence was committed, Gawne met a Government orchard inspector in a country town in North Otago, and the inspector gave him a lift to Palmerston South. Arrived there, tre car was garaged. Accused went later to the garage and took out the car, and proceeded to Dunedin, where he abandoned it. He was arrested there, and given two years' probation. At present he was serving a sentence of three months for theft.

Mr W. H. Darby, probation officer, said that he had received a report from the Dunedin probation, officer, which said that accused was entirely unsatisfactory. He had committed several offences during his probation. He had been working, but the other men on the job would hardly work with him on account of suspicious thefts. Probation was wasted on him. Reformative detention was recommended. He was an “utter waster.”

“Have you anything to say?” the Magistrate asked accused. “No, but I’ve got three months’now, and that has shaken me up. I ask for leniency, sir.” “You don’t know how to take advantage of leniency. You had your chance in Dunedin. If the law allowed it, I would give you two years’ reformative detention. I won’t countenance any breach of probation. The report says you have neglected your wife and family.” Accused was then sentenced.