Pies Put In Piano

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32120, 16 October 1969, Page 24

Pies Put In Piano

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Oct. 15. Hot pies were stuffed into a piano at the South Pacific Hotel, Waiwera, before a group of Hell’s Angels were ordered out, the Auckland Magistrate’s Court was told today.

David Michael Glavish, aged 17, unemployed, appeared before Mr W. J. Meade, S.M., on charges of assaulting a constable, common assault and being on licensed premises while under 21. The offences were alleged to have taken place on September 20. He pleaded not guilty to the first two charges and guilty to the third.

The charges arose during an incident at the hotel last month in which members of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang were said to have scuffled with the police and hotel staff. Robert Abdey, head barman at the South Pacific Hotel, said some members of the gang were asked to leave

the hotel after bad conduct. They refused and the police were called.

“They were using a lot of obscene language and had wire from the back of the piano, stuffed hot. pies into it and had taken pies from the pie machine,” said Mr Abdey. “When the police arrived the group left fairly easily. Then one girl tried to push her way back into the hotel. She was joined by two other girls and a number of youths then pushed into the corridor.

“Constable A. White arrested a youth and the youths pushed him into a wall. Another policeman was on my left and I went to assist Constable White. “As I got to Mr White, Glavish directed a punch at him. It missed and hit me on the forehead. I fell to the floor stunned,” said Mr Abdey. He later saw the group jostling the police at a police car on the-roadway. A man who was screaming abuse hit Mr White on the face. “Glavish moved forward and he also hit Mr White. The arrested youth broke free,” said the witness. Constable Andrew White,

of Takapuna, said Glavish was easily recognisable because he was one of two male Maori members of the group. “I was punched several times in the mouth. Somebody grabbed me round the neck and I was pulled to the ground,” Constable White said. He could not identify who hit him but said that when he got off the ground Glavish was one of a group standing nearby. In evidence, Glavish said he wanted to get the arrested youth away from the police. “But I didn’t grab anybody. I don’t know who hit Mr Abdey. 1 didn’t. I was leaning against a wall about two or three feet away when he was hit,” Glavish said. He said he stayed behind in the, hotel after the person who was arrested was taken away. “When I went outside I leaned against a brick wall while the others were having a brawl against the police car.”

The Magistrate deferred his decision on all charges until Friday. He said he wanted to re-read the statements of Mr John Crichton, who gave evidence last week I before leaving for Australia.