"SHEER STUPIDITY”

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12615, 27 November 1926, Page 9

"SHEER STUPIDITY”

JUDGE AND YOUNG OFFENDER SENT TO BORSTAL INSTITUTE NO CRIMINAL INTENT DISCLOSED Kloptomaniacal tendencies led to j the appearance in the Supreme Court i yesterday of a youth, Arthur David ' Horace Porter, for sentence on charges of breaking, entering, and theft at Eketahuna. In presenting tho facts of the ca to his Honour Mr Justice Alpers, Mr E. Parry, for the accused, said ho would not ask for the leniency of pro- \ bation as it was the opinion of the police, and Porter’s parents also, that it would be no use to him and not improve him in any way. “Tho ocnly thing I can ask your Honour to do in the circumstances is to order the accused to he detained in' a Borstal institution for as short a period as possible. 1 ’ His Honour: Do his parents agree that that would be the best course? — , Yes. Counsel further pointed out that accused’s parents were unable to control him. Mr P. S. lv. Macassey, for the Crown, explained that Borstal treatment was recommended by the child welfare officer. His Honour remarked that a lad of tho accused’s ago wanted to be kept in a Borrtal institution for quite a considerable period, in order that the training he received might have some effect. “Prisoner,” he went on, **T am sorry to sec a lad like you in this position, which show's sheer. stupidity on your part rather than criminal intent. You are well grown, and a fit sort of a lad to earn vour living in many wavs. lam going to send you to a Borstal institution. Tins is not a prison —it is a place where you are detained in partly a school, where you will bo. put to work at something yo suit you, and which, I hope, you will find interesting. Tho freedom from temptation will, I hope, have the effect of bringing you to vour senses, and assisting yon to leave these pranks alone. I call them pranks because vou stole cigarettes and did not smoko them, and vou stole face powder and scent, whicli I presume you did not use.” The motives of the thefts were not those of a criminal, and the accused was not going to be a criminal. The trouble appeared to bo that he had overgrown his strength. He was not. going to he put on probation, for had been tried unsuccesslully once. Tne sentence of tho court would he that tho accused was to he detained in a Borstal institution for a period not exceeding two years.