NINE YOUTHS IN COURT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 169, 20 July 1939, Page 3

NINE YOUTHS IN COURT

I LENGTHY LIST OF CHARGES CONVERSION. THEFT AND MISCHIEF ONE BOY SENT TO BORSTAL [ Ter Tress Association j WELLINGTON, July 18. “The damage to telephones in the Hutt district by .some of these youths resulted in the district being without a telephone that, could be used by the public,” said Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle in the Children’s Court at Wellington to-day, "hen nine youths were charged with unlawful conversion of motor cars, theft and mischief. “The motor-cars converted were valued at £4745 and the damage to them was £156 10s 9d. Damage to telephone boxes was £454 7s Id. Cash stolen totalled £l9 17s 4d and cash recovered amounted to £4 95,” said De-tective-Sergeant Doyle. Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M.. and Mrs. A. McVicar and Mr. G. L. Stewart, associates of Ihe Children’s Court, were on the bench. "The depredations would have been brought to a close earlier if the youths had not adopted cunning tactics by using stolen number plates,” said the detective-ser-geant. List of Charges 'Die charges were: Against a youth aged 19, 16 of unlawful conversion, 40 | of theft and 14 of mischief; against youth aged 19. one of unlawful conversion and two of theft; against a youth aged 18, three of unlawful conversion and two of theft; against a youth aged 18, two of unlawful conversion, 14 of theft and two of mischief: against a youth aged 17, five of unlawful conversion; against a boy aged 16. 16 of unlawful conversion, 27 of theft and three of mischief; against a boy aged 16, seven of unlawful conversion, 21 of theft and one of mischief: against a boy aged 15, 14 of unlawful conversion, 28 of theft and 14 of mischief: against a boy aged 15, five of unlawful conversion and two of theft. The \outh with the big list was committed to the borstal institution for three years, two were placed on probation for three years with a condition that they must not own or drive a motor-vehicle during their probation, another was placed on probation for two years with the same I condition and a fifth was placed on ■ | probation for 18 months. The four youngest were committed to the care Jof the superintendent of the Child j Welfare Department. . i After detailing the charges the de- - tectixe-sergeant said that in four cases . the motor-cars stolen were the proi perty of doctors and in one case a - doctor had been deprived of the use ; of his car for about two weeks while repairs were made. Through chang- - ing the number plates of motor-cars i recovery had been delayed until the ’ theft of the stolen plates bad been rei ported to the police and in some cases i owners had been deprived of the use ) of their \ehicle.s for periods approaching a week and in other cases longer. It was also apparent from the con- - dition of the cars that they had been 1 driven al great speed. ' "The Post and Telegraph Departi ment was not in a position to replace • file boxes so that inconvenience caused - to the department was considerable.” 1 said the detective-sergeant, referring ‘ to the damage to the telephone boxes - in the Hutt Valley, also a staff of detectives was engaged night and day - for a! least a fortnight endeavouring to detect the offenders. s Knew Numbers of Police Cars When finally interviewed, some of the youths frankly admitted to De- , tective J. G. Long that they knew ’ the police cars and in some cases the . numbers of the cars. That was why they evaded detection for so long. The youths belonged to a gang that operated in one particular district. Most of them lived in one district and were constantly associating with each other for a considerable period. ! "All the juveniles had been under , supervision before and seemed to x have treated it as a kind of joke," said . Mr. Stout in committing the four youngest offenders to the care of the . superintendent of the Child Welfare . Department. Two of them had previ- . ously been connected with car conver- } sions and must have realised the seriL ousness of that charge. People had . to be protected from their raids. The t youth with the biggest list had been given a chance before and must have committed the offences with his eyes open, said Mr. Stout. Ho must have realised the seriousness of car conver- • sion and of the damage to other 1 people’s property. He was the worst i offender of the nine. “This is really Lhe most serious Fist 1 I have ever had to deal with in the ‘ Children’s Court and I trust it will he • a long time before anything similar ■ comes before the Court," concluded Mr. Stout.