Nine in court after Blenheim brawl

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 2

Nine in court after Blenheim brawl

PA Blenheim Eight youths and a girl appeared in the Blenheim Magistrate’s Court yesterday after an incident outside a Blenheim hotel and hamburger bar early on Sunday morning. lan Lex Jellyman, Rodger Hughes Fenwick, David Anthony Reece, Diane Gay Reece. David Maurice Burden, Gary Wayne Berryman, and Owen Stanley Thomas, aE of Blenheim, Peter Clifford Yorke, of Port Underwood, and Phillip John Thompson, of Spring Creek, were all charged with disorderly behaviour. Each was remanded to September 15 on bail of $lOO and ordered to report daily to the police. They appeared before Mr O. A. Webb, J.P. No pleas were taken.

During the incident, Constable Murray Leach, of Invercargill, who was in Blenheim with the Southland rugby team, was stabbed in the hip when he went to the aid of the police. Sergeant G. J. Ward, who was knocked unconscious, and Constable Leach, were both taken to hospital. Both are expected to be discharged today. Inspector D. R. Mowat said yesterday morning that a charge in relation to the stabbing incident was pending . Inspector Mowat said the police were called at 12.10 on Sunday morning, but by the time they arrived a brawl between a local youth and members of the visiting sports team had ended. At 12.20 a.m. a large number of youths arrived on the scene and fighting broke out between the youths and the sporting team. When other visitors arrived an all-in brawl resulted.

About 100 people were in the area but not all were involved in the fighting which spread further down Market Street, one of Blenheim's main thoroughfares. Two constables who were at the scene called for reinforcements and a sergeant and constable came to their assistance. While the police tried to break up the fighting, some members of

th- Southland rugby team attempted to get fellow members safely inside the hotel.

At this stage some of the brawlers were arrested and this created some problems for the police. “One or two of the vistors went to the assistance of the local police,” Inspector Mowat said.

Then Constable Leach was stabbed. Sergeant Ward was attempting to stop an offender running away from two constables when he was knocked heavily to the

ground and were unconscious for about five minutes. An eyewitness said he thought the brawl had started over a hat. When the police arrived for the second time he understood the rugby team had left the area. At one stage it seemed only a few people were involved and they were fighting police, he said. "Things never really got violent and there wasn’t much action. A lot of people were standing around cheering or booing,” said the witness.