Masked Men Wreck Party, Injure Six

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30213, 19 August 1963, Page 10

Masked Men Wreck Party, Injure Six

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 18. Six people, three of them policemen off duty, were injured early today when a dozen masked intruders burst into a private house party in Islington street, Ponsonby. One of the injured was admitted to Auckland Hospital with a serious eye injury. The other injured suffered blackened eyes and a variety of cuts and bruises. They were treated at the hospital and discharged.

The man admitted to hospital, Bernard Joseph Thomas, aged 26, a carpenter, married, of Islington street, Ponsonby, suffered an eye injury which required a dozen stitches. His condition tonight was fair. Those treated are.— Anthony Tremewan, aged 29, a detective constable, of 139 Jervois road, Heme Bay (severe cut on the head). William Foley Worrall, aged 24, constable, of 87 Nikau road, Otahuhu (cut over the ‘ right eye and abrasions. Malcolm Arthur Mitchell, aged 22, a constable, of Central Police Station barracks (cuts and a possible fractured hand). Kenneth William Jones, aged 23, a carpenter, of 2 Goring street, Balmoral (cut eye, facial abrasions and a possible fracture of the nose)

Richard Vincent Goulder, aged 19, a driver, of Islington street, Ponsonby (cut c the head). Interviewed at the hospital today, Mr Thomas said a gang of about 12 burst in the front door "One of them came at me with a chair leg which had nails sticking out of it. I threw my wife aside and then got a belt over the eye. I got another one over the back of the head as I went down. “I must have been partly knocked out because they were gone when I got up. “They burst in, smashed everything up and they were gone. The women were not harmed,” he said. Mrs E. Warren, also of Islington street, said several of the raiders were masked. “One had a spotted handkerchief over his face and others had masks over their faces with slits cut for eyes.” She said she opened the door to a knock about 12.30 a.m. “The intruders just burst in and started beating every-

one up and wrecking the place,” she said. “They were carrying coshes, bottles, chair legs and one had what looked like a vacuum cleaner pipe. “There were platefuls of food from supper on the floor and they kicked these aside, and smashed bottles, glasses, cups and furniture. My husband was knocked down and got a black eye. Mr Tremewan was knocked unconscious.” Mrs Warren said the intruders smashed some windows as they left the house. She said the flat had previously been occupied by Mr Tremewan but had been taken over by a relative of hers. The party was in the nature of a house-warming for the new tenant. Mr Goulder said he was greeted by two men and hit on the head with a bottle. "X got a kick in the eye as I went down and that’s all I can remember. “I don’t know how long I was out but there was a terrible mess when I came to.” A large team of detectives started inquiries into the incident early this morning Seven youths were taken into custody.