"MENACE TO DISTRICT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 887, 3 February 1930, Page 11

"MENACE TO DISTRICT”

DETENTION FOR THIEF MANY SHOPS ROBBED “You have certainly been a menace to the district over a period of two years,” remarked Mr, Justice Smith in the Supreme Court this morning, in imposing terms of four years’ reformative detention for breaking, entering and theft, and two years’ similar punishment for attempting these crimes, on William George Boakes, aged 29. j Counsel pleaded that Boakes's early education had heen neglected, and he had been an inmate of the Industrial school in his youth. He said the prisoner had been working for one farmer for six years, and had been found hard working and honest. Two years ago, however, Boakes bought a motor-cycle and started careering round the district breaking into stores, from which he had stolen principally chocolateh, soft drinks and cigarettes. Counsel suggested that Boakes vcas subnormal and recommended the prisoner as a case for treatment. Boakes admitted to the Judge he had been sentenced to three years’ reformative treatment in 1919, and had also been sent to an industrial school, being finally released In 1921, and since then had not been before the court. Mr. Hubble, assistant Crown Prosecutor, said Boakes had broken into every lock-up shop in the district for two years past. In passing sentence, his Honour decided that prisoner was a fit case for treatment. The terms are to run concurrently.