"BORROWING” MOTOR CARS.

Shannon News, 25 November 1927, Page 3

"BORROWING” MOTOR CARS.

One of the offences that has beeome most frequent since the motor car has become übiquitous is that of “borrowing” a motor car without permission, or, as it is termed in legal phraseology, “converting a car to one’s own use without colour of right.” This offence has now become so common that scarcely a, day goes by, in the larger centres, without at least one case being reported, and it not infrequently happens that several ears are taken on one night. These delinquencies are, apparently, not looked upon as ordinary thefts. We presume that the reason for this is that in many cases the cars are taken by irresponsible youths merely for what they term “a lark.” It would seem, however, .that there is very little humour in such a situation, for the car owner, at all events. Oars so jtijken .are seldom returned to their rightful owner, not infrequently they are badly misused, often badly damaged, and left at a great distance away. Thus the owner is put to great inconvenience and often the cost of repairs is very heavy. Many protests have been made against the leniency of magistrates in dealing with such cases, and it was gratifying to notice that much more severe sentences are being imposed in many instances. Two young men who “borrowed” a car at Te Awamutu were recently fined £2O each, in default a month’s imprisonment. In some similar cases heard elsewhere the offenders have got off very lightly, which appears to caused some people to think they can take cars at their pleasure, ami if they should be detected the punishment will not. be severe. If the “conversion of cars” is to be stopped, or effectively checked, the punishment of offenders detected must be much more severe: In aggravated • cases the penalty should be imprisonment without the option of a fine, and in less pronounced cases the fine should be made severe enough lo be a deterrent. It is frequently found that escapades with “borrowed” oars lead to more serious crimes; and this feet is ahother, reason why first offenders should be treated more severely. We are glad to know that magistrates generally are now taking this view.