Charge after gang shooting

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33814, 10 April 1975, Page 2

Charge after gang shooting

A youth who allegedly shot a member of a rival motor-cycle gang in the eye during a reprisal raid on the Epitaph Riders headquarters at Dunn Street on November 4 was committed for trial in the Supreme Court after the taking of depositions in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Peter Ronald Darrell, aged 18 (Mr W. H. McMenamin), pleaded not guilty to a charge of wounding Anthony Charles Eastmond. Messrs R. H. Harris and H. A. R. Tullet, Justices of the Peace, were on the bench.

Mr G. K. Panckhurst ap-j peared for the prosecution and called 17 witnesses. In evidence, Mr Eastmond said that he was staying at 15 Dunn Street and was asleep in bed with a girl about 2 a.m. on November 4. He awakened when he heard the so nd of breaking

glass and "general yelling," moved over to the other side of the bed. and knelt, facing the door.

“The next thing I remember is picking myself up from the floor, although at that particular time I didn’t know what caused me to fall,” he said. He remembered the ambulance arriving.

Medical evidence was given that Eastmond’s eye was split, and that an X-ray showed an object with the shape and appearance of a bullet in front of his spine. The eye was removed.

Sharon Breen, an Auckland nurse, said she heard a loud bang at the back of the house, and a commotion, and I saw Mr Eastmond fall on his face, bleeding from his left eve.

Railton Howard Lucking, aged 18, said in evidence that he had suffered a broken arm in a raid by the Epitaph Riders at Convoy Street the previous night.

He had been at Convoy Street on November 3 when members of the Devil’s Henchmen haci planned a reprisal raid.

On their arrival at Dunn Street he had “shot down the door.” “I can’t remember if Peter Darrell was there or not,” he said. The witness was then declared hostile, because his evidence was contradictory to a statement made to police on November 4.

In evidence, the witness said that he signed the statement because he was “threatened” by the police. “They lifted my broken arm behind my back and said they would break the other if'l did not sign the statement,” he said. Stewart James Maitland and Gary Reginald Baker were also declared hostile when they gave evidence (denying statements made to the police on November 4. Both witnesses claimed they had been forced to sign the statements. Maitland claimed he had been hit on the head with a telephone book until he gave in. Constable M. A. Kine said that at 2.30 a.m. he visited Convoy Street. He found the

accused and a previous witness, Ferris, in a neighbour’s property. The accused was crouching by the fence. A search of the area revealed a .22 rifle. Witness said he had . said to the accused “Things are getting bad when you have to use these,” and accused had replied “I need something to protect me, don’t I.” Detective Sergeant J. L. Cookston said he interviewed the accused on November 4. During the interview he asked the accused if he used his left or right hand when firing a rifle. Darnell replied that he used his left hand. He was then told that fingerprints found on the gun, and palm prints on the door, showed that the gun had been fired by someone’s left hand. I The accused then said he did not wish to discuss the incident until he had spoken to his solicitor.

Previously the accused said he had gone with the others to Dunn Street but had not entered because he was “too scared.” He had stayed outside on the footpath.

Ronald William Quick, of Gilberthorpe Road, identified as his a .22 rifle. To his knowledge the gun had not been used for vears.

His son, Michael HenryQuick, said that he had known the accused for years as he lived “over the road.” On Sunday, November 3, the accused visited him and asked him for the gun, witness said. He said he would bring it back when he was finished.

Robert Bruce Ferris, aged 18. a prison inmate and member of the Devil’s Henchmen gang, said he had gone to Convoy Street on November 3.

Later in the evening he had gone with other members of the gang to a house in Dunn Street.

A shotgun belonging to him and a .22 rifle which was lying round the Convoy Street flat that night were taken to Dunn Street, wit-' ness said. Someone kicked open the door, and some people entered the house and "did over” the occupants, he said.