BANK BANDIT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 638, 16 September 1933, Page 5

BANK BANDIT

(Press Assn.-

TEMPERAMENTAL YOUTft SENT TO BORSTAL * INSTITUTE

-By Telegraph— Copyrlght).

Wellington, Friday. Four years in a Borstal Institute was the sentence imposed hy the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, today, on William Murn MacDonald,aged 19, wh'o caused a sensation at Palmerston North on August 11, by holding up a bank teller, and who als0 appeared for sentence for other offences at Palmerston and Masterton. ; " For .the prisoner, Mr. H. F. O'Leary said it was realised that beeause of the seriousness of the offences prohation or extreme leniency was out of the question, but he pointed .out that MacDonald had always been highly strung and somewhat reckless in .spirit, and had an exaggemted idea of his capabilities, with an intense desire- to get away from New Zealand and adopt flying as a profession. His tempemment was such as to. lead him easily into the course be took, a career of dishonesty culminating in a theatrical and hopeless ac- ; tion in the bank affair. His Honour commented on cei'tain j extraordinary features of the case, ■ and. referred to the necessity of im- ' posing a sentence which w-ould he -a ' deterrent to other youths. It might be that prisoner's conduct called rath'er for treatment in a different | kind of institution,- but there was no? evidence to justify him acting on that assumption. Aceused would be kept.j under observation, and the a.uthoritks would act as it appeared neeessary.j