WILD ESCAPADES

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21358, 28 February 1941, Page 4

WILD ESCAPADES

| BROTHERS IN COURT I THIRTY-FIVE CARS CONVERTED j CHILDREN ALSO INVOLVED A remarkable series of youthful escapades which resulted in 35 motor-cars being converted in different parts of Hamilton from October 6 of last year up to January 19, was told by Senior-Sergeant A. G. McHugh in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, today, when two brothers—one 18 and a-half years of age and the other 17 years old—whose names were ordered to be suppressed in the meantime, appeared before Mr W. H. Freeman. S.M. Twenty-four joint charges of unlawful conversion of motor-cars were preferred, nine separate charges against the younger brother. Both frankly admitted the offences when they were interviewed by the police and had given them every assistance, said the senior-sergeant, who outlined the series of escapades. On December 2 the youths worked very fast. The/ drove a car to Mount Eden, abandoned it, converted another vehicle and drove it for a few miles, took a fresh car to Otahuhu, and then another car back to Hamilton. In Hamilton cars were converted on a number of occasions, the practice apparently being to drive a car to one street, abandon it and then convert another. The total value of the cars converted, said SeniorSergeant A. G. McHugi, was £6471. Most of the vehicles were light cars* and none of them were damaged. Some of the property which had been in the cars at the time pf their conversion had been recovered, but £8 12s worth was still missing. Upbringing Good Both youths, who were working at the time of the offences, came from a good home. Neither of the two accused could drive a car, and the ringleader, who was concerned in all the conversions and who was a dare-devil driver, appeared to be a ! ij-year-old boy. He was to appear before the Children’s Court later in company with several other boys. The two brothers had excellent references and unblemished records. " You wouldn’t expect them to have anything but unblemished records at their ages,” observed the magistrate. The father of the two boys told the police he had no trouble with them, and on only one occasion had they been out late at night, said Mr P. G. Harkness, who appeared for the two boys. No good purpose could be served by sending them to reformative detention, claimed counsel. The magistrate reserved his decision until the hearing of the charges against the other offenders in the Children’s Court.