Students’ Early-Morning Raid On Girls’ Hostel

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 10

Students’ Early-Morning Raid On Girls’ Hostel

(Neto Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. May 5. The matron of the Bishop Bennett Girl£ Hostel in Fitzherbert terrace. Wellington telephoned the police at 1.35 a m. today when the hostel was invaded by male university students who went round the bedrooms pulling the sleeping girls from their beds. Mr J B Thomson. S.M.. was told in the Magistrate’s Court today Two youths in the dock Alan Archibald Kerr and lan William Sligo McGillivray, both students, aged 17. were the only two marauders positivelv identified by hostel authorities from the group of 16 university students rounded up later said the nolice prosecutor <M- G. Wells). Ke-r and McGillivray pleaded guilty to being found by night without lawful excuse on the premises The police withdrew the initial charge deeming both youths to be rogues and vagabonds For the defence Mr B D Inglis asked for leniencv because of "the time of the year” which, he said, explained to some extent these foolish incidents The two defendants, who came from good homes, intended tn make suitable amends to the girls’ hostel authorities for any inconveni. ence« thev may have been caused. The Magistrate said Kerr and McGillivray were the scapegoats for all the s’udents involved Thev and their fellow students should realise that this sort of thing was going altogether too faNevertheless, a conviction for this offence at this stage of their lives would be a severe handicap for them to carry through life, the Magistrate said, and he adjourned the case a week If the

youths tendered what he considered adequate apologies to the girls’ hostel authorities and each contributed £4 towards the charity currently being promoted by the student associations. he would discharge the matter next week under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act An application for interim suppression of the students’ names was refused.