WANTON DESTRUCTION

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18642, 21 May 1932, Page 6

WANTON DESTRUCTION

WOOL AND CLOTH SLASHED. YOUNG THIEVES PUNISHED. AUCKLAND, Saturday. In the Supreme Court yesterday, Ernest Edward Davies, aged 19, and Arnold Colin Barker, aged 17, appeared for sentence. The prisoners had confessed to having done more than £IOO worth of wanton damage to wool and bales of cloth in the warehouse of Ross and Glendining in Grey’s Avenue. There were three charges of breaking and ttieft against Davies and two against Barker. His Honour said Hie circumstances of the offence were rather remarkable, it would appear that Hie accused broke into a bootmaker's establishment, where they secured some knives. They broke into two other places and later on broke into Ross and Glenclining’s warehouse. According to Barker’s statement they opened up hundreds of parcels of wool and cut them all with a knife, ami later sot about damaging rolls of material stored on the top fioor. They hacked Hie rolls of matrial with knives, and wound some of them round pillars. They “ decorated " flic factory and stairway with rolls. The factory manager, in describing tho damage done, said rolls of material had been wound round from post to post, making -an enclosure which he could only describe as similar lo a stock yard. Wilful damage amounting to over £IOO had been done. " Whether it is neglect of discipline in your own homes or not, I do not know, but at any rate you arc going to be punished and punished severely," continued His Honour. "Barker will be sentenced to he detained at a

Borstal institute for three years and Davies for two years.”