BORSTAL DETENTION FOR CAR CONVERSION

Chronicle (Levin), 2 July 1946, Page 4

BORSTAL DETENTION FOR CAR CONVERSION

WERAROA ESCAPEES CAUGHT Quiclc work by the Feilding police yesterday resulted in the apprehension ! of two escapees from the State Train- ' ing Farm at Levin who, during their i brief liberty eonverted two motor cars, j broke and enteved. property and stole I overeoats and eommunion wine. Arrest- | ed yesterday at Feilding, they appeared | before Mr. A. Coleman, S.H., at aj specilil sitting of the Magistrate 's C.ourt at 4.30 p.m., and, pleading gpilty •to the several oi'fenees eharged, Vvere sejitencedvto two years in-a Borstal institution on each eharge, sentences to . be coneurrent. - . . ..... The accused were Robert Jens Thorne, agedTSl years, and a juvenile and they j were jointly eharged witli the eonver- ] sion of a motor car at Levin on Satur- ; day night, valned at £300, the property j of Frank Croots; the conversion of a ; motor car at Apiti, valued at £500, the ! property of A. G. Prince; the fcheft of an overeoat and a torch, valued at £3 j 2s Gd, the property of A. G. Prince; the theft of an overeoat at Apiti, 'valued at £2 10s, the property of Rev. ; M. Dixon; and on July 1 at Feilding jbreaking and entering St. John's Angli- ! can Churcli and stealing a sxuu of £1 8s | 9d and a bottle of eommunion wine, ! total value of £2 7s 6d, the property of the. Chureh. The aceused elected to , be. dealt with summarily and pleaded guilty to each of the charges. j Sergeant A. M. Harding told the • Court that both aceused were inmates of the Htate Training Farm at Levin and on Baturday night abseonded and ; took a motor car i-m. which they drove 4 to Apiti where tlikr car was abandoned owing to battery trouble. They then : Ixroke the lock of a slied and pushed the motor car of Mr. Prince out on to J the road but failed to get it started. | From the car they took an overeoat and I a torch. They next proceeded to .the ' Apiti Churcli and broke into this I building and stole an overeoat, tlic property of Rev. Dixon. The accused were next heard of in Feilding yesterday when they broke into the chiirch and connuitted theft. Both were arrested during the" morning. The Sergeant concluded by stating that Thorne had several previous convictions, while the juvenile also lrad a list of oft'epces arising from a previous escapade. The rep'ort on .the conduet of the accused was handed in by the manager of the State Farm. • - \ ! The accused had nothing to say and I the Magistrate ordered their detention in a Borstal institution for two years on each charge, the sentences to be coneurrent. Ari order was mad.e for the return of tlie stolen property. 6 j