CAR CONVERSION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 19, 2 June 1939, Page 5

CAR CONVERSION

youths in court .- I . '; _ •' , / _ 5 ONE GETS THREE MONTHS Tlired Hotorua Maori yoiilone with rittuW" n lengthy list for and car conversion, appeared in the' Whakatane Police Court on Thursday charged with the conversion of a ear valued at £1«>0, the property of Seth Brumby, at flotorua. The youths were Leslie Hubert Marcroft, dry cleaner, aged 18 years, Larry Digger Munn, labourer, aged 21 years, and George Ahitahi Duncan, labourer, aged 18 years. All pleaded guilty. Constable. H. Hedley, who prosecuted. said the ear had been stolen at Rotorua, driven here and abandoned at the pulp mills. The plates were taken off. The police interviewed Duncan, who denied the offence. Th_* other two admitted it when they were questioned.

DUNCAN THE LEADER It appeared that Duncan was the principal offender. He actually took the car, picked up the other two nnd asked them to come through to Wha_ katane. They said they did the car had been stolen until they were on the road. However they stay-* ,ed with Duncan and rode rqiind in it so they were technically guilty. Dun- 1 can had had four convictions for theft and had been two years in the Borstal for car conversion. The other two were first offenders for drunkenness. The car was taken, from outside Hamilton House in Eruerai Street The accused had nothing to say for themselves,. LENIENCY NOT APPRECIATED Mr Barry said the offence was serious. On previous occasions Duncan had had leniency extended to him but he had not appreciated it. He had been sentenced once before for car conversion, and in his t the court would sentence him ■ to; three months imprisonment. The : other, two did not seem to have been prime movers in the matter. They were not equally guilty "«ind would be fined. in default 14 days*, imprisonment.