SOLDIERS PUNISHED

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21199, 23 August 1940, Page 7

SOLDIERS PUNISHED

DRIVE IN STOLEN CAR INJURY TO CONSTABLE (By Telegraph.—Press Association) AUCKLAND, Thursday Two soldiers from Trentham, Oswald Oliver Wahrlich, aged 21, and Colin Vivial Symons, aged 20, came before Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court today for sentence on a charge of unlawful conversion of a motor-car and a charge of reckless driving and causing injury. Wahrlich told the Judge they intended leaving Wellington by the ferry for Lyttelton, where he wanted to see a young woman, but found the ferry wharf picketed. They took a car and drove to Palmerston North, intending to take a plane to Christchurch, but found they had insufficient money. On a further mad impulse they drove to Auckland. A plain-clothes constable accosted them and was on the car step guiding them to the police station when the car accidentally hit a safety zone, knocking the constable off. Then they drove the car away in panic. Symons had nothing to say except to express the hope that he might get back to camp. Explanation Rejected His Honour said both had previously been in trouble in connection with the conversion of cars, and both had been sentenced to two years’ Borstal detention. He was unable to accept Wahrlich’s assurance that it was an accident that caused the injury to the constable. While Wahrlich doubtless did not intend to injure the constable, it seemed certain that he intended “to scrape him off the car with the safety zone,” and was reckless about causing injury. It was a very serious act. Wahrlich was sentenced to 18 months’ reformative detention for reckless driving and a further 18 months’ detention for the conversion of the car and theft of benzine. Symons was sentenced to 18 months’ reformative detention.