MOTOR CAR SET ON FIRE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20030, 31 August 1939, Page 7

MOTOR CAR SET ON FIRE

MAN FOE SENTENCE COMPANION’S STORY (Por Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The destruction by fire of a car stated to be the subject of a hire purchase agreement, was ventilated in the Police Court to-day when Eric Entwistle Lester, aged 23, a carpenter, pleaded guilty to wilfully damaging a car valued at £95, the property of Dominion Motors and attempting to obtain £75 from the National Insurance Company of New Zealand by means of a false pretence.

Bramwell Harry Craze said that one day while at work, the accused came to him and said his car was not going very well and it had a broken cog in the differential, which would cost about £ls to fix. About 7.30 o’clock that evening the accused said he intended to push the vehicle over a cliff. He called at witness place with the car and witness told him not to be a fool. Witness, went with the accused in the direction of Hutt Valley. There were two empty beer bottles in the car and the accused vsaid they would make 'it apipear as if somebody had taken the car when drunk. They got to a steep hill and a short distance up the differential stripped. Witness said: Eric, turn round and drive home.” The accused said he would burn the car. Further statements of the witness were that the accused sprinkled the car with petrol, removed fingerprints from the wheel and wanted witness to put his prints on as the police did not know him, but he said “No fear.” The accused: threw a match at the car and witness ran for the lick of his life. The accused followed him. When they got to the river, the car was a mass of flames arid they returned to town by bus. The accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.