THEFT OF TYRES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20331, 14 June 1934, Page 10

THEFT OF TYRES.

Youths Wanted Money to Register Car.

EASE OF DISPOSAL. The ease with which stolen motor tyres could be disposed of was remarked on by the prosecution when three youths, Albert Edward Scarlett, 19 years of age, Thomas Hickling Scarlett, 18, and Raymond Maxwell Gilchrist, 19, came before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. They were charged with three thefts of motor tyres, involving a value of over £l2. All pleaded guilty. Mr Bowie appeared for the Scarletts and Mr Quigley for Gilchrist. Chief-Detective Dunlop said that in the first instance the three youths stole a tyre from Mr R. M. Mathers’s car, threw the rim into the Heathcote, and next day sold the tyre to a city cornpan}'. They used a car next day, and drove up alongside Mr J. Allen's car. Two of them jumped out and removed the tyre and rim. Again the rim was thrown into the Heathcote and the tyre sold. The third tyre was stolen from Mr L. R. Kent. Mr Bowie said the Scarlett brothers were the eldest of a family of twelve. They and Gilchrist had a wood business. There wefe nineteen people to be fed at the Scarlett home, and only a few were earning anything at all. The boys fell back on theft to raise the money to register an old car for use in their business. “ They realise now,” said Mr Bowie, “ that however hard the economic conditions and their place in society have been on them,' they have no right to take the matter into their own hands.” “No Criminal Inclination.” Mr Quigley said that Gilchrist’s family were also in poor financial circumstances. The boy had no criminal inclination. One of the Scarlett brothers was wearing a huge bandage over his eye, and on that Mr Bowie commented. “ His sinister appearance,” said Mr Bowie, ” is due to his being struck by a piece of wood in the course of his business, and not to fighting.” Chief-Detective Dunlop said that there was a lot of thieving going on, and unfortunately the proceeds were fairlv easy to dispose of. “ These lads want looking after,” said the Magistrate, who remanded the three accused till Monday, in custody, so that the Probation Officer could submit a report.