ARSON CHARGE REDUCED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 78, 24 December 1937, Page 9

ARSON CHARGE REDUCED

Press Association.)

"Drunken Prank," Says Bench

(By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, Last Night. Charged that, on December 15, at Huapai, they committed arson by setting fire to a haystack valued at £30, the property of Alexander Burr, and further with the th-eft of a tarpaulin valued at £3, two young men appeared before Mr F. K. Hunt in the Police. Court to-day. They were Henry Stamford Evans Turner, aged 23, storeman employed by a city firm, and James Frederick Hennessy Harper, aged 24, wireless operator on the Air Force staff at Hobsonville. Mr R. A. Singer who with Mr Bee'-d; appeared for the aceused, asked that the charges should be reduced and tho aceused dealt with summarily. He said that they had eonsumed a quantity of liquor. One man had lost his glasses in a haystack and, while he was looking for them by striking matehes, tbe hay caught fire. They had voluntarily repaid the damage. Statements made by both men were read show that they admitted taking the tarpaulin, and after Turner had lost his spectacles Harper suggested ?etting fire to the staek in order to destroy the evidence. The Magistrate said it appeared to have been a drunken prank, and he did not think it necessary to put the country to the expense of a Supreme Court trial. He reduced the arson. charge to one of misehief. He adjourned the charges against Harper for three months, as, if convicted, he would lose his position in the Air Force, and left j him to be dealt with by the air fore,e I authorities. The theft charge against ; Turner was adjourned for three months and he was fined £5 for misehief. He was ordered to be prohibited.