TEN PRISON RIOTERS HOLD HOSTAGES

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32425, 12 October 1970, Page 1

TEN PRISON RIOTERS HOLD HOSTAGES

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, October 11.

The Minister of Justice (Mr Riddiford) and the Acting Secretary for Justice and Prisons (Mr I. J. D. McKay) flew hurriedly to Auckland tonight in response to demands by 10 rioting prisoners in Paremoremo Prison.

They left Wellington at 8 p.m. and were expected to be rushed to the prison immediately they arrived at Auckland.

A small section of the prison was still under siege late tonight after the 10 prisoners rioted and took four warders hostage.

The prisoners knocked one warder unconscious with an iron bar at 4.10 p.m. stealing his keys, and snapping one off in the lock of a barred gate. The section of the prison they are in—part of D block—is now impregnable.

The injured warder, Mr Wayne Wills, married, was taken by ambulance to Auckland Hospital where he was treated an discharged. When they found they had successfully barricaded themselves in, the prisoners—of whom at least one is a convicted murderer—set up a continuous barrage of shouts and bangs. Obscenities, whittling, thumping and banging were clearly audible outside the prison main entrance. Onlookers lined the road at the perimeter of the prison grounds. At 7.45 p.m. Mr K. Ryan and Mr P. A. Williams, Auckland solicitors, arrived at the prison. A police officer said this was in response to a request by the prisoners. Just before they arrived the police asked the rioters if any of them wished to surrender. They are understood to have said they would remain barricaded in the cell block until they had spoken to Mr McKay. Members of the Auckland police armed offenders squad are standing guard in the block.

Inspector A. W. Jefferies, said there were no plans to use tear gas to force the prisoners to submit. The police were preparing for an all-night vigil. The prisoners have threatened to injure their hostages if any move is made to force open the gate.

At 9 p.m. a police officer said that if the prisoners began carrying out their threat to harm their hostages, the police would immediately force their way into the barricaded section.

Those held hostage are believed to be prison officers Hindmarsh, Daniels, Brown and Te Rangiita.

Shortly before 9 pre. an oxyacetylene torch and bottle and a large pair of bolt cutters were taken into the prison. The police said these were not for use immediately but for ' when they were needed.

The superintendent of Oakley Psychiatric Hospital (Dr P. E. Savage), and another Oakley staff member arrived at the prison at 9.50 p.m. carrying a portable resuscitator with them. Inspector Jeffries said the resuscitator was not needed immediately and was brought in case it was needed. It was not known immediately why Dr Savage had been called to the prison. On his arrival he went down to the besieged cell block. The prison superintendent (Mr T. G. Buckley), said tonight- **We are taking certain actions, but my main concern is the safety of my staff. I am going down periodically and I am speaking with the prison officers. “It’s not tense down there —they are just sitting at the moment.” He said the rest of the prison was quiet and running normally.