A MONTH’S HARD LABOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2703, 4 March 1924, Page 3

A MONTH’S HARD LABOUR.

A LESSON TO JOY-RIDER.

A pleasure 1 rip in a borrowed motor ear on Sunday night resulted in the appearance at the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court, yesterday of two young men named Spencer Robert'Ellis and Roderick Haraor Illingworth, to answer a joint charge of unlawfully converting to their own use a motor car valued at £4OO, the property of the Dominion Motor Company Ltd., says the Times.

Ellis pleaded guilty to the charge while Illingworth entered a plea of not guilty. Sergeant Power represented the police. Evidence was given by George Henry Martin, of the visiting Institute Band, and Constable O’Reilly, to the effect that the. car was driven through from Wellington on Saturday by the former. It was used on Sunday and in the evening left in the yard of the Railway Buffet. Witness Martin returned for the ear at 11.20 o’clock and discovered that it was missing. He informed the police of the disappearance of the vehicle and then instituted a search for it on his own account. After a search of 40 minutes, he discovered it at the western end of Ferguson Street, and the two accused and another man were standing by it. The bonnet of the car was open and the cap of the radiator was off, preparatory to being filled with water. The third man, who apparently lived in the neighbourhood was in. the action of putting water into the radiator when Martin prevented him from doing so. The latter explained that the engine was nearly red hot, and if water had been put into the radiator it would have cracked the cylinders. He estimated the damage, principally to the gears and clutch, at about £25. Illingworth, in a rambling statement, declared that he was invited by Ellis to go for a ride, and, thinking the former had the authority, complied with the rei|uest. In reply to Sergeant Power, witness stated that Ellis, who was his room-mate, had mentioned previous joy-riding episodes to him. His Worship convicted Ellis and sentenced him to a month’s hard labour. “That will teach you to leave other people’s car alone,” he remarked. “Illingworth, I will give you tlie benefit of the doubt,” he concluded.