YOUTHS WHO ATTACKED TAXI DRIVER

Chronicle (Levin), 5 September 1947, Page 6

YOUTHS WHO ATTACKED TAXI DRIVER

WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. Three youths, Ralph Sutton, aged^lS, farmhand and labourer, Allan Bruee •futton, aged L9, apprentice earpenter, md Mervyn David Brand, aged 20, abourer, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court today to a joint charge Lhat 011 August 21 at Wellington, being trmed with one iron bar and one .212 ;alibre revolver, tiiey did assault Darcy Parata with intent to rob. Parata was [he driver of a taxi they ordered to . Maida Yale Road . where he ,was struck on the head with a tyre lever, out dvove ofC ,his a'ttackers xand cap:ured one of * them. , Parata, in evidence, said he had Iriven the three accuspd to Maida Vale Road where the man in the-fi'ont seat isked what the f are was and- asked for the change of one pound. When Parata put his hand in his pocket for the .change he received a blow on the iead from behind. He looked round md saw the bar in the air. "4 struck the man with the bar at the same time as the man ivith the bar struck me, " he said, adding that he liad elbow jolted the man in the front seat out of the car and then grappled ivith the other two. He chased the , man with the tyre lever and caught iiim and with the assistance of some - iivilians he was heid until the arrival r_ of the police. lle identified Allan Pruce Sutton as this man. A ntatemenl by Allan Sutton was put in by Deteetive A. G. Wroblenslu. , Sutton admitted being in possession of rhe tyre lever and revolvcr. Brand, who had the revolver at the [ime of the attempted robbery, had stated he did not intend to use it aithough it was ioaded in 'ovcry chamber. All three also pleaded guilty to joint charges of car conversion. Ralph Sutton and Brand pleaded guilty to two charges of car conversion and Ralph Sutton to one charge of car conversibn and two charges coucerning rhe revolver. They were remauded for sentenee on these charges until after they nad been sentenced in the Supreme Court on the assault charge.