A YOUTHFUL ESCAPADE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 179, 30 August 1929, Page 5

A YOUTHFUL ESCAPADE

TWO YOUNG MEN BEFORE POLICE COURT. NIGHT DUTY CONSTABLE'S CATOH UNUSUAL REMARKS FROM JUSTICES. A householder, resident in Bower street, Napier, wbo locked up her bome and departed for Palmerston North 011 a holiday recently, returned tbe other day and found unmistakable signs tbat tbe house bad been occupied in her absence. Sbe was leaving tbe same day again for the country, but she informed the police of ber suspicions and asked them to keep a Watch 011 the house in her absence Tbis was done, and two constables on nigbt duty paid a visit to the house last liight, to find two youtbs asleep in a single bed in a back room. As a result, tbe two voutbs in question appeared in the Napier Police Court this morning, before Messrs O. J. Steevens and P. Wright, J'sP., pleading guilty througb Mr A. H. D. Mayne to a cbarge of being found witbout lawful excuse on the premises afore-mentioned. Senior- Sergeant Powell outlined tbe facts for the police. Notbing previously was known against tbe two accused, one of wbom, aged 21, was a New Zealander and tbe other, aged 19, a Flock House boy, who came to tbe Dominion some years ago. For the accused, Mr Mayne urged tbat tbe offence was merely a technical one The elder of the two boys had previously boarded in the house, and both bojrs used bis old bedroom. The position was that they also had only arrived in the town a few days ago from Palmerston North. Both boys were out of work and it was the first time they bad ever been before a court in their lives. Mr Steevens: There has been no evidence as to liow they entered the liouse. The senior- sergeant: They got in througb tbe window. Mr Steevens: Theve's not mucb of a technical point when a man gets througb a window, Mr Mayne. After considerable discussion tbe Bench remarked. tbat this _ was apparently a case of boyish indiscretion and voncbsafed tbe opinion tbat tbe police bad not gone far enousrh in tbeir investigation of tbe case. wliicb should never bave been brought _ to court. Both accused were accordingly convicted and discharged and an order for the suppression of their names was made.