BORSTAL FOR MOTOR PIRATES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 153, 19 September 1927, Page 1

BORSTAL FOR MOTOR PIRATES

PROBATION WOULfI BE FARCICAL FOUR BOYS “BORROW” 28 CARS THE public must be protected—if I placed these boys on probation it would make a farce of the whole criminal law. “They disregarded public convenience, and persisted in the offences in face of strongly expressed public opinion.”

WITH these remarks Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Police Court today. sent four boys to the Borstal Institute for 12 months. Between August 10 and September 2 they had converted 28 motor-cars to their own use. These car pirates were: Joseph Robert Slater, aged 16. Harley William Dear, aged 16. Walter Richard Dear, aged 17. Cecil George Robinson, aged 19. They are all apprentices. The boys appeared last week and pleaded guilty, hut in the meantime further police investigations were made *. Chief-Detective Cummings said that there were six charges against Slater, six against H. W. Dear, nine against W. R. Dear and seven against Robinson. The offences were committed between August 10 and September 2, and W. R. Dear, Slater and Robinson were the leaders. The other Dear had been persuaded to join the gang. Slater was the only one who had a driver’s licence. To facilitate the “borrowing” of cars, the boys had a big bundle of keys to unlock cars which had been left locked. “Grave Public Menace” “The owners have been put to great inconvenience by these acts,” said Mr. Cummings, “and these boys were a grave public menace when driving at a high speed.” “On one occasion they took a doc-

tor’s car while he was in a house attending to a patient.” Mr. Cummings said that many of the cars had been seriously damaged, but there was no evidence that any of the stolen cars had been burnt. Since their arrest no cars had been reported missing. Mr. Oliphant, who appeared for the accused, said that they had been convicted on their own admissions to the police. But for this it is doubtful whether their guilt could have been proved. They started off taking cars in a spirit of adventure, but in the end they went too far. “Under the old system,” said counsel, “they would have been birched, and I’m sure the most luxurious car in Auckland would not have tempted them after that.” He suggested that the boys should be placed on strict probation, and that no monetary penalty be inflicted. Two of them were serving time as motor mechanics, one as a cabinetmaker, and the other as an electrical engineer. Their employer!! spoke well of them, and they all came from good homes. There was no suggestion that parental control was lacking. “Public Must Be Protected” “It is difficult to know what to do with these boys,” said the magistrate. “If I gave them probation it would make a farce of the criminal law, and I have to protect the public.” “I could send them to gaol for

three months, but I don’t propose to do that. The sentence I impose must be a deterrent to others.” When he sentenced them to 12 months’ detention ir. the Borstal Institute, Mr. Hunt said they would have to learn to respect the property «t others.