STOLEN BICYCLES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 26, 23 November 1945, Page 5

STOLEN BICYCLES

YOUNG MAORI'S OFFENCES

PARTS GIVEN AWAY

Mystery which has surrounded the disappearance of bicycles in Wha. katnne over the past few was cleared up in last Tuesday Avhen a young Maori f Henry Kingi pleaded guilty to the theft of two machines and. the dismantling and dispersment of their various parts.

Sergeant Earrell said that on May 17 accused had helped himself to a bicycle valued at £.3 the property of Athol S. Butcher. Again on August K) he took another machine from a cycle stand in the Strand the owner of which was yet unknown. Accused resided at Paroa and stolen parts of several machines had been discovered at his home. His habit had apparently been to steal the machines and then to dismantle them and disperse the parts by way of covering up h'is tracks.

Sergeant Farrell added that the stealing of bicycles had. become very prevalent in Whakatane and it was necessary to adopt the sternest measures to put them down. The loss of bicycles was quite a substantial one to some people who regarded them as their only means of transport. To Paper Mill workers for instance, it was a most serious matter.

Accused was sentenced to one 'month's imprisonment on each charge both sentences to be concurrent .