CONVICTED OF THEFT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 December 1932, Page 5

CONVICTED OF THEFT

YOUNG MAN SENT TO BORSTAL FOR THREE YEARS A BAD START When Keith A. Ross, a young man, aged 20 years, appeared on remahd before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., yesterday morning, eharged with theft, it was found impossible to give him the benefit of probation. It will he recalled that he appeared before the court earlier in the week eharged with the theft of a silver watch, rug, pair of shoes, shirts, trousers, ete., and decided to plead not guilty and go to the Supreme Court for trial. Other counsels, however, prevailed, and Mr. A. Y. Ford appeared for accused yesterday and entered a plea of guilty. , . Senior-Sergeant J. Carroll told the court that Ross left his home at Waihi last month on horseback. He ehtained work at Whakatane, but only remained on the farm for two days. He then left taking the Te TekoGalatea Road and on December 6 William Young found his camp at Waiohau had been ransacked. A police watch was kept for accused and

he was arrested by Constable A. Brown on the Taupo Road. When questioned Ross denied all knowledge of the goods, but the watch was found in his swag. When brought to the station he stated that he had bought the watch from a man at Galatea and refused to give any assistarfce to recover the other goods. Itjvas therefore necessary to send Constable Brown out to search for theip. The missing articles were found in the c-erub near where the arrest had been made. Ross also bad a bunch. of skeleton keys in his possession. The Waihi police reported that he had given a lot of trouble in that locality and had already been -fined £2, in default two weeks' imprisonment, for mischief. He seemed to be a spoilt hoy and the only thing appeared to be a period of discipline. Mr. Ford admitted that Ross had been guilty of mischief and , damage, but it was the first time he had been eharged with theft. He was only 20 years old and within the age to reeeive Borstal treatment. The young fellow had not had any education and had done a lot of rough work. A horse had kieked him on the head, and at times he suffered severely from headaches. In counsel's opinion he was subnormal and had never had a chance to go straight since he was sixteen. So far as the keys were concerned accused said he had found the keys from a place near Waiohau. Mr. Paterson said he would have given Ross probation but for certain things. He had not helped the police and had lied to them. . He did not believe the story that the skeleton keys had been found. Ross required strict discipline and would be committed to Borstal for three years. It all depended tipon his own eonduct how long he stayed 'there.