Armed Youth Pleads Guilty to 10 Charges

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 917, 10 March 1930, Page 1

Armed Youth Pleads Guilty to 10 Charges

FOUR DAYS OF CRIME REMANDED FOR SENTENCE Pleading guilty to ten charges of theft and committing, mischief, Robert John Bolton was remanded for sentence until Thursday at the Police Court this morning. Bolton was arrested in Broadway, Newmarket, at midnight on February 20 and, according to the police report, was found to be carrying a loaded revolver and housebreaking instruments. Bolton’s exploits included thefts from the Remuera Tennis Club and Carlaw Park and a series of attacks on slot telephone poxes and railway station slot machines. All the offences were committed within four days. Accused, who was a diminutive sharp-featured youth with a shock of red hair, was described as a labourer aged 20. He was chaiged with being found in possession of housebreaking instruments, carrying a firearm by night and being in possession of an unregistered revolver, all on February 24, when he was arrested.. tie' was charged with attempting to break and enter the office of the Remuera Railway Station on February 22 with intent to commit a i crime. There were two charges of damaging slot machines to the extent of 17s Id on February 23, one at the Remuera Station and one at Elierslie, and on the same date one of stealing a slot machine valued at £ 4 4s and Is 6d in money from the Penrose Station. Two charges of damaging slot telephone machines and two of theft from the machines followed. One was in respect of a box in Fairfax Road, which Bolton was alleged to have damaged to the extent of £3 15s before stealing 3s Id from it. That was on February 20, and on February 21 he was stated to have damaged a phone in Great South Road to the extent of £3 15s and stolen 8s 6d from it,. Three, charges of theft concluded the list —one of stealing a part bottle of whisky, a pair of shoes and a suspensory bandage valued at 16s lid and belonging to the Auckland Rugby League on February 24; one of stealing 2s id belonging to the Auckland Gas Company on February 23, and the last of stealing two boxes of tennis halls, a record book, a jersey and 11s lid in money, of a total value of £2 Is lid, and belonging to the Remuera Tennis Club on February 23. Chief-Detective Hammond pointed out that the charges of being found in possession of housebreaking instruments and attempting to oreak in the railway station were indictable. The first could be reduced to that of being a rogue and a vagabond. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.: Wei!, withdraw the other one. He is pleading guilty to all these others I am told. Accused: Yes. The chief-detective regretted that he had been instructed to proceed with the charge of attempetd breaking and entering and a remand was made until Thursday. AN ADOPTED CHILD Bolton had been an adopted child, Mr. Hammond said. Both his iosterparents were dead. The youth had been born at Milton, Otago, where he had lived nearly all his life. Lately he had been wandering about the country doing very little work. He had been employed at a flaxmil! in Foxton for a time. About three weeks after his arrival in Auckland he had started on the series >f offences to which he now pleaded guilty. The total damage he had done by tampering with slot machines was almost £2O. He had also comi mitted thefts from the caretaker’s ! premises at Carlaw Park and from the Remuera Tennis Club. He had b°en caught by the constable on night duty jin Newmarket. The screwdrivers and j a pair of pliers were found in accused's possession and he was armed with a loaded revolver. Remanding accused un'il Thursday, the magistrate directed the probation officer to prepare a report