A SERIOUS OFFENCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 211, 11 September 1940, Page 5

A SERIOUS OFFENCE

YOUNG MAN CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT "Abduction is considered a :serious offence, and rightly so,'' ■said Mr E. L. Walton, S.M., in. the Magistrate's Court yesterday when sentencing Arthur Mitchell Wray, aged 25, to three months Imprisonment on a charge of the abduction of Edna Olive Doidge, a female under the age of 18 years. On a second charge of escaping from lawful custody he was remanded until September 12th, on the application of the police. Wray, who was represented by ?Mr B. Barry, elected to be dealt and pleaded guilty. bergV.-Jrit M. Farrell, prosecuting, said that accused was formerly a contractor in the employ of the Edu cation- Department and engaged in conveying children to anct from school. The girl concerned was -among the children and some sort •of friendship grew between them. Accused sold his business and left the Otaltiri district. The night fol flowing his departure the girl also left the district and certain documents which cr.me into the possession of the police showed the two had agreed to meet at a quarry. Accused was arrested at. Taupo by Constable McNulty and when found there Wray and the girl were living as man Snd wife under the name of Mr and Mrs Smith, Counsel's. Plea.

TVIr Barry said that accused had Ijorne an unblemished character and rcame from a family highly respect ■cd in the district. Wray's lapse seemed'inexplicable but it appeared ■as though there was some form oi mutual attraction. The couple had been going together for about twelve months and that this was with the. >consent .of the girl's family seemed indicated when Wray was always welcomed to supper after escorting the girl to the pictures or on otliei outings. Reverting to Wray's character, counsel said that it was prov<ed; by a testimonial, entirely unsolicited, which had been received from the Education Department upon the termination of accused's contract. "The girl was at all times a willing arid consenting party, 1 ' Mr Barry 'Continued, "although, when I say that, I do not mean to suggest that •-she x was of a loose character. She had a grievance, either real or fancied, against the treatment she reiceived at her home and she used 'to send notes to defendant. She •suggested to Wray that they should ■:go ajvajr together and he fell in with this suggestion." Probation Suggested. - Counsel pointed out thai the girl iniist have been willing, because, she left home the night after- Wray..Regarding the place of abode in which they had been found living at Taupo, and described by the pro'.secutor as a 'wluire,' Mr Barry said this was a proper btu.h. The girl had 'set up house' in a manner which would have done credit to any woman: had stocked the larder.and had even baked scones. She had described the time spent there as being the happiest period of her life. Counsel submitted that in view of accused's previous good character a term of probation would be s(ufTicient punishment. Regarding the ■chargeof escaping from custody, an indictable offence to which Wray would.plead guilty, counsel requested permission to make several -servationsVMr Barry, had been Interviewed at Taupo the day before his arrest and with that warning, and the fact that he had the xise of a motor vehicle, he could have escaped, had he that intention. The reason for his dash for liberty when on the journey from Rotorua to.Whakatane was not clear. It may h(ive been that the proximity to his h6ine district and the realisation of the disgrace had caused him to suddenly decide on' the attempted escapee. - . Accused's Ordeal. That occurred on Friday morning, said counsel, and it was late on Sunday night before he was recaptured. In the interim he had no food or shelter other than the bush and his .skin was chafed with his wet clothes. He could not have survived another night and he was ordered to hospital immediately after his recapture. Counsel submitted that in view of the punishment brought upon himself by his escape, Wray would have nothing added to his sentence when

he appeared in the Supreme Court, and he respectfully suggested that, with the permission of the Court, the police should withdraw the charge. The Magistrate said he had no power to deal with the second charge and Wray was remanded to appear before Justices to-morrow. His Worship said that abduction was rightly regarded as a serious offence. There Avas no possible chance of Wray mistaking the age of the girl as she was only 13. To take a child away was striking at the foundations of family life and he would be failing in his duty if he did not regard it seriously. Wray was sentenced to three months' imprisonment.