SEQUEL TO MAN-HUNT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 121, 8 June 1937, Page 10

SEQUEL TO MAN-HUNT

Maori Admits Burglary, Theft and Car-Conversion GAOL SENTENCES IMPOSED A sequel to the inan-hunt at Te Pohue on May 27 was hearcl, in tho Napier Magistrate's Court this inorning, before Mr. J. Miller, S.M., when Hapi Atutahi was charged with breaking and entering a Bay View store and stealing a quanvity of cigarettes and some food. At the conclusion of the hearing the j defendant pleaded guilty. He was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence. Deteetive-Sergeant H. Nuttall conducted tlie proseeution. Evidence was given by Arthur Jaines McHardy, of Bay View, storekeeper, that he found the defendant in a car outside the store in the early hours of the morning. A struggle ensued in which witness giained possession of the ignition key and defendant ran away. Cigarettes, a watch and some tins of fruit were missing from the store. Constables D. Walden and T. G. P. Bonnington gave evidence of the capture oi' the defendant at Te Pohue with some of the stolen goods in his .possession. Deteetive-Sergeant Nuttall read a statement made by the defendant in which he admitted the offence. All the evidence was heard once more with the services of an interpreter, as it was discovered that as the defendant was a full-blooded Maori the charges and evidence must be translated to him. The defendant did not wish to question the witnesses and pleaded guilty. He was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence. Three eummary charges were also preferred against hm — namely, (1) TJnlawful converson at Eskdale of a car owned by Frank Henderson Wlson; (2) theft of a rug, cushion, singilet and a spanner from Robert Weatherly, Bay View; (3) theft of 13 gallons of petvol from th© pump at the Bay View store. To all these he pleaded guilty. In eonducting the proseeution on the Eummary charges Detertive-Sergeant Nuttall said that Atutahi had only rerently been Jiberated from gaol on licence after serving part of a sentence of two years' reformative detention for car canversion. In regard to the conversion of Mr. Wilson'g car, considerable damage had been caused when it collided with a bank. On the conversion charge, defendant vas sentenced to three months' imprisonment, the maximum sentence, and on each of the two theft charges to one month's imprisonment, the sentences to he cumulative. On a chargte of car conversion at Hamilton he was reinandcd to appear there next Mqnday. _______