MAORI TRESPASSERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 16, 19 October 1945, Page 5

MAORI TRESPASSERS

HOSPITAL DOMESTIC QUARTERS / ONE MONTH'S IMPRISONMENT On remand for eight days whilstt evidence as to their cor. ■rect ages was Henry Kingi a aged 18 years of Faroa. and Kima Lawson t » aged 17 years i also a labourer •of Paroa ? appeared again in the Whakatane Court yesterday before Messrs G. A. Brabant and C. H. Christensen, charged with " that on October they were found without lawful 'but in circumstances that did hot disclose the commission of ? or intention to commit any other in a building to wit, ihe domestic quarters of the Whakatane Public Hospital. As Lawson was under the age of *18 years and therefore entitled to be dealt with under the Child Welfare Act, he was remanded to appear in the Children's Court dn November 3. Kingi pleaded guilty. Sergeant Farrell stated that on the night of October 3 the two .youths in question were found in the domestic quarters of the Whakatane Public Hospital. They had • attended the pictures that evening and afterwards had proceeded to the and entered the domestic -quarters. They had been seen, and -ejected. The point was stressed that although the offence might seem simple enough - it was, in reality, causing a great deal of annoyance to the hospital authorities. Certain youths were in the habit of spending a ;great deal of time in the domestic and the fact that almost the whole of the hospital staff was •female was one reason why such 9 prowlers could not be tolerated. The authorities had posted notices warning trespassers but the practice was apparently still continuing. Mr Brabant said that he had noticed lately that the Hospital Board ihad been having trouble with regard to .such trespassers, and it was the Court's duty to assist them in .stamping it out. It was- his intention to let accused olf fairly lightly, in the hope that it would serve as a warning but added that the. v.ext offender in this respect would be dealt with more severely. Sentence of one month's imprisonment was imposed.