CAR STEALING

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20267, 9 August 1937, Page 10

CAR STEALING

“MENACE TO PUBLIC.” MAGISTRATE WARNB YOUTH. ESCAPADES WITH VEHICLES. “ You are again before this court and you apparently do not appreciate that on the previous occasion the court dealt with you leniently and gave you a chance to become a good citizen," said Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., to the Hamilton youth, aged 17i, who appeared In the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, to-day, charged with converting another four motor vehicles. “ These matters are serious, and if you are going to take your place in society you must conform with the usages of society. If you are going to be the enemy of society now you will continue to be all your life, and you will be a hunted man,” added Mr Paterson. “ Further, you have a mother who loves you, a father who thinks a great deal of you, and brothers and sisters, too. Have you ever thought of their feelings? What are they going to think If you are in prison? Apparently the mental specialist was wrong when he said that the shock of the arrest | would amend your ways. Children’s Court Decision. “ A medical man to whom I was speaking considered that the penalties for this type of offence had in the past been too light. I want to give you the full benefits of the provisions made for you by the Children’s Court last week, but if you don't mend your ways it may mean that if another prisoner comes before me on similar charges I will not give leniency because of your letting me down,” concluded Mr Paterson before ordering accused to come up for sentence within six months if called upon. “ This will allow the decision of thp Children’s Court to be put into operation,” said the magistrate, in Impressing upon accused that if he offended again he would be punished. An order was made for the suppression of the name. To-day accused was charged with the conversion of four motor vehicles the total value of which was £1225. A car owned by Mr C. Waddell was allegedly converted on July 28, Mr J. Taylor’s on July 27, another on July 28, and Mr U. Johnstone’s on July 31. All the alleged offences were committed in Hamilton. Accused pleaded pleaded guilty to all four charges and elected to be dealt with summarily. Report of Psychiatrist. Detective A. J. White, who conducted the prosecution, said the youth was first arrested in Hamilton on the night of July 10 by Senior-Sergeant G. H. Lambert, when attempting to convert another car. He was subsequently charged in the Magistrate’s Court on July 12 and was remitted to the Children’s Court to be dealt with. There the accused was charged with the conversion of 15 cars and one charge of theft was preferred against him. The hearing was adjourned in order that the youth might be examined by a mental specialist. The examination was conducted in Auckland last week, and the specialist assumed that the shock on the youth of the arrest and the subequent proceedings would have the effect of preventing the accused from committing further offences, and no further trouble was anticipated. However, Mr White said that the day the youth returned from Auckland he converted a car belonging to Mr J. Taylor. The car was taken from Frankton and driven to Te Awamutu, where it was abandoned. Another car was stolen the next day which the detective claimed was driven home by accused, brought back to his place of employment the following morning, and driven around during the lunchhour before a tyre tvas punctured and the car abandoned. On the same day another car was taken, and the following day the youth converted another vehicle which he drove to Raglan and back before being abandoned about a quarter of a mile from his home. The detective said that when accused first came before the magistrate he was not the holder of a driver’s license, but in the meantime he had obtained one. having borrowed his father’s car for the test. The Chfldren’s Court had remanded accused for six months on the other charges, so that he might he placed in a mental hospital for observation. The youth is still in the custody of the police, where he will remain, at the wish of the Children’s Court, until taken to the institution for observation. “ This young man has given the public a great deal of inconvenience, and it has caused the police considnble expense,” said Mr White, adding that fhe police incurred an expense of about £ 1 for every car that had been reported missing. The last, car that nnd'tT' 1 nh '? n,loned was lcfl locked, lo drive it, away. A breakdown crane was required to tow fhe vehicle to a garage. this young man is a monaec to the public and above ail his license should be cancelled,” he said. Not Safe Abroad. Mr F. A. do la Mare, who appeared for accused, agreed that the youth was not safe abroad without control, and be should be put under observation. The repetition of the offence showed that the trouble was not only a psychological one but also a rooted one. “ I have had several medical opinions on tiie youth, *and it has been suggested to me that an x-ray should he made of his brain. I think that his trouble is essentially one of adolescence, and it may be a characteristic of the boy’s stage of growth. I suggest that accused be remitted to the Children’s Court again, if that proves to be unsuccessful then he could come hack to Your Worship to dealt with.” “ This case suggests that in the ordinary way we have not suitable machinery to deal with cases of this nature except the course which 1 have just, suggested,” said Mr do la Mare, who in conclusion thanked the police !"!• the fair manner in which thev had dealt with the offences. 1 lie magistrate also made an order that I lie accused's driving license he cancelled.