“Cat Burglar” Gets Three Years' Borstal

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 709, 8 July 1929, Page 1

“Cat Burglar” Gets Three Years' Borstal

AGED ONLY 18 WILL FINISH EDUCATION Auckland’s “cat” burglar, Reginald Gordon Cotterill, whose perilous waterpipe and wall scaling exploits kept the city on the jump a few weeks ago, is to have his education finished at the Borstal Institute. /■'IOTTERILL, who is 18 years of age, stood in the dock before Mr. Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court today for 28 crimes of breaking and entering with intent, breaking and entering and theft and false pretences, during his brief career in the city. “It is a remarkable list of offences,” commented Mr. Hubble, who appeared for the Crown. “Cotterill does not seem to have acquired much for himself —under £20 —but his crimes occasioned much trouble and annoyance to city people,” he added. “What is your age?” asked Mr. Justice Kennedy of Cotterill, who had nothing to say. “I’ll be 19 next November,” replied the prisoner. “Y'ou have described yourself as 23 years of age in your statement,” commented his Honour. “Yes, I had been doing that to get a job,” was Cotterill’s answer. RESOURCEFUL CRIMES “You have pleaded guilty to a lengthy list of serious crimes committed in a short period but with great resource and determination,” re-

marked his Honour in passing sentence “Y’ou are only IS years of age and have had a poor education, having left school at 15 after passing the fourth standard. It is clear you must be taught habits of industry and work and that a career of crime can never be successful. From the nature and number of the crimes, probation is entirely out of the question, and the Probation Officer does not recommend it. It is also clear that you require further supervision and that society must be protected from acts such as yours. The interests of society and yourselt I think will best be served by sending you to Borstal, where your education will be completed and from which I hope you will emerge a useful citiZe Cotterill was committed to the Borstal for three years on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent.