TOUGH PROPOSITION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 37, 8 January 1943, Page 5

TOUGH PROPOSITION

NOT WANTED BY ARMY

LOCAL MAORI IMPRISONED

A case of utter incorrigibility was illustrated in the case against Wiremu Ratapu Himona, a young Maori offender who appeared in the Whakatane Court before Messrs G. A. Brabant and J. G. Mulholland, J.P's, last Tuesday. Himona Avho stood in the box in uniform was charged Avith conversion of a truck at Matata, t'he property of Mr A. F. Rush, contractor, of Rotorua, on December 22 last, and also damage to the door of the vehicle amounting to £6 8s (id. He pleaded guilty to the first charge but declared, that the damage to the door was done before he took the vehicle. Sergeant Farrell explained that Himona had broken into the garage and appropriated the vehiclc driving it round the countryside until the benzine was exhausted. He had then abandoned it on the roadside. He had upon interview by the police admitted the charges. Sergeant Farrell added that, accused was an army deserter having overstayed his leave since November 28 for which offence a warrant was also out for his arrest. The military authorities however had. also had enough of him declaring him to be utterly irresponsible in the army from which he could now be considered discharged. It was for this reason that he was being tried, in the Civil Courts. The fact, that he wore uniform was due to the fact that he possessed no other clothing and had no money wi'Ji which to purchase any. Pointing out that. the. offence of conversion made prisoner liable to a maximum fine of £100 or alternatively to 12 months imprisonment the bench inflicted a sentence of three months incarceration in the Mt. Eden gaol on the Jirst charge and convicted and discharged accused on the second.