SERIES OF THEFTS.

Shannon News, 27 July 1926, Page 2

SERIES OF THEFTS.

WEBADOA BUY L\ IDOUBLE. At the Palmerston Court, John Talm Andrew o, a Maori youth, who was arrested on the Buckley road by Constable Biaikie, was charged that on July 21 at Buckley, Shannon, lie did steal a rifle, a watch, an overcoat, a pocket knife and two pair of shoes, of a total value of £JJ Ss 6d, the pioperty of Robert Victor Tudor Brewer. Six further charges were preferred against accused, involving an amount of £46 10s, of property and cash allegedly stolen between July 6 and 21, at Kiibinie, 'Miramar, Levin, and Buckley. In conjunction with a ju~ I venile, -who was dealt with in the Children’s Court, was further charged with stealing property and cash , totalling £l7 15s 6d in value, the • thefts allegedly being committed at j Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay, Woudville and Carterton. • N ■ Andrew’s, wdio elected to be dealt I with summarily, pleaded guilty to ail charges. Senior-Sergeant O’Grady stated that accused had escaped from Weraroa with the other hoy mentioned on July 0 and had been arrested at Woodvilie on July 8. During the 48 hours they liad been at liberty they had } committed many thefts. Stowing away on a train' they had proceeded to Wellington, in the suburbs of which they had entered several dwellings and other buildings and stolen the money and property. They had then gone on to Carterton, where they had again got to work, and later went on to Woodville, where, after further burglaries, they liad been am rested. They had been taken back to Weraroa and had escaped on July 20, again starting off on a career of crime. 'The younger of the tw'o had been caught, and accused had gone on his owm to Shannon, where lie had -caused further tamible. Rotjh :liad certainly got out of the control of the authorities at Weraroa, and were a menace to the settlers in the district. Hie suggested that the boy before the Court should bo put under the control of the Prisons Department, lie w'as not a fit subject for Weraroa. Air J. U’Donoglme, manager at Weraroa, in reply to the magistrate, stated that, accused had escaped three times from Weraroa and had committed more thefts than he was actually charged with. His Worship decided that the boy should be sent to the Borstal- Institute aPTnvercargill and made an order accordingly, the term being fixed at three years.