WAIKERIA ESCAPE

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19890, 20 May 1936, Page 9

WAIKERIA ESCAPE

THEFTS COMMITTED. ADDITIONAL TERM IMPOSED. (Times Representative). TE AWAMUTU. Tuesday. Charles Arthur Hansen, aped 23, the prisoner from the Waikerla Borstal Institute who enjoyed a few days’ liberty from April 13 and was recaptured at Arapunl. faced charges of breaking custody and the theft of £4 18s lid and goods and clothing at Pukeatua, before Mr F. H. Levlen, S.M., at a special sitting of the Te Awamutu Magistrate’s Court to-day. Hansen had been serving a term of two years’ hard labour for breaking, entering and theft, having been convicted at Auckland. He had been at Waikerla since October 2 last year. Conducting the case for the police, Constable J. Forsyth said on the evening of the escape Hansen had been stationed at the No. 2 camp. His duties of milking cows and feeding pigs had allowed him a certain amount of freedom of which he had taken advantage. Constable H. Shaw, of Klhlklhl, said he had taken a statement from the accused at Waikerla which detailed the events of the escape and the thefts from the different places the prisoner had visited during his period of liberty. On the night of his escape Hansen had hidden himself In some scrub near the Ngahape Road and next morning he had crossed the Waikerla property to Parawera where he had committed thefts. Later he had become lost In the hush but had come out again near Pukeatua where he had entered a tent and had stolen money and clothing. The escapee tiad ridden to Arapunl in a motor lorry where he had been arrested by Constable T. Cotter, of Putaruru. Hansen pleaded guilty and expressed a wish to be dealt •with summarily. “The prisoner seems to have a particular weakness for this kind of thing,” said Mr Levlen in commenting on the thefts. Ohlef Warden’s Statement. In reply to a question Mr A. A. Douglas, the chief warder at Waikerla, «tated that when returned to the institute accused had said he had no complaints about the way he had been treated there. His Worship said he could not understand why the prisoner had stolen so much clothing, to which Hansen replied that he had to keep warm when he was out on cold nights. Constable Shaw said all the articles had been recovered, except 6s 9d ■which had been spent at Pukeatua. The prisoner was convicted and discharged on the charges of theft and was to six months’ hard labour for escaping from custody, the •entenee to be cumulative with the •arm he is already serving.